Daniella Karagach on balancing motherhood and Dancing with the Stars

“Dancing with the Stars” pro Daniella Karagach opened up about balancing motherhood and her career as a dancer in a new interview with “Good Morning America” on the ABC show.

Karagach and her husband Pasha Pashkov, who celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in July, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Nikita, in May 2023 after suffering a miscarriage in their first pregnancy, which she previously revealed to “GMA.”

Karagach, who is partnered with Dwight Howard on this season of “DWTS,” said navigating both the show and motherhood is still the “hardest part” of her life right now.

“This season I get to work with such a great personality, but I'm exhausted because I want to make sure I do everything I can to make him look good. And then when you go home, you can't just.” “Relax and relax,” she said. “You have to go home and… take care of a baby.”

She continued: “It’s hard on the body but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love being active.”

“Dancing with the Stars” pro Daniella Karagach speaks out for the first time about past miscarriages

Karagach first appeared on season 28 of “DWTS” in 2019. In 2020, she was paired with rapper Nelly as her first celebrity dance partner.

She later won her first Mirrorball Trophy in 2021, during the show's 30th season, when she partnered with basketball player Iman Shumpert. This year's Season 33 of “DWTS” marked her second year as a mother appearing on the show.

Although she described the height difference she shares with her celebrity partner Howard as “challenging,” Karagach said he is “just the most amazing human being.”

“He’s so funny and he shows up and he wants it more than anything. He wants to win. He wants to be there, he wants to work hard,” she said. “That’s all you could ask for as a teacher. It was really fun. We’re having the best time.”

Karagach also said that motherhood has given her an extra strength that she never knew she had, noting that “motherhood is my superpower.”

“I never really knew how strong I was until I became a mother. Whether it was a loss or a victory, having a child… it's just about knowing how strong I am and shaping someone's life is really a big responsibility,” she explains. “It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life… but it's the most rewarding for me personally.”

Karagach added that the long days of rehearsals for “DWTS” were worth it for Nikita, saying, “She's brought us so much joy, we've been so happy already, and it makes everything so much better to have her in our lives.” .”

Karagach announced that Nikita is now walking, running and starting to talk.

“She’s so funny,” she added of her toddler. “She is 100% my husband. She has Pasha's entire face. She looks just like him, but she has all my personality. And it's so funny because she's so open and straightforward, like she's the girl who knows what she wants and at the same time she's the sweetest.

“Dancing with the Stars” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.

Disney is the parent company of Hulu, ABC News and “Good Morning America.”

Daniella Karagach on balancing motherhood and 'Dancing with the Stars' originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com