“Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Daniella Karagach is feeling guilty ahead of the 34th season of the ABC celebrity ballroom show.
In a new interview, the DWTS Season 30 mirrorball champion revealed that her two-year-old daughter, Nikita, sometimes begs her not to go to the rehearsal studio.
“There’s definitely a lot of mom guilt and that will never go away, especially now that Kiki’s talking, and she says, ‘Mama, don’t go to work,’” Karagach told The Independent in September 2025. “It breaks my heart.”
Karagach welcomed Nikita in May 2023 with her husband, fellow DWTS pro Pasha Pashkov. The popular pro dancer is partnered with actor Dylan Efron for Season 34.
Daniella Karagach & Pasha Pashkov Brought Nikita on Tour With Them
While the regular “Dancing with the Stars” season means long days away from home, Karagach is able to bring her toddler on tour with her. After hitting the road for the most recent DWTS Live tour earlier this year, Karagach told People magazine that her daughter participated in warm-up routines with her before she went on stage to perform.
“She warmed up with us every single day,” Karagach said. “She knew what time it was when we took our foam roller, she would take a foam roller. Our PT even gave her a baby foam roller. She would roll her thighs out, … [and she] didn’t know what she was doing, but she was doing it with us, and it was great. It was so fun.”
The dancer added that fans loved seeing Nikita on tour and often waved and screamed her name when they saw her during intermission.
In March, Karagach asked fans to respect her child’s privacy. “If you see us with our child, it is always OK to say hi. We love saying hi to you,” the mom of one wrote on Instagram, per Collider. “But if you see that she’s not with us and with my mother-in-law, please do not hunt her down and ask her for photos or take photos of her without my mother-in-law’s knowledge… the main reason for this post is please do not take photos or videos of our baby girl without our knowledge or when she isn’t with us.”
Daniella Karagach Hopes Her Daughter Will Be Proud of Her Someday
Karagach admitted that it is the “worst thing ever” when her daughter asks her not to go to work.
“But at the same time, I know that, give it some time, she’s gonna get older and be proud of me,” she told The Independent. “You don’t think about these things, but at the same time, like, damn, am I selfish for going back to work? Or am I doing this because I want my child to have a better life? There’s a lot that goes into it.”
“Dancing with the Stars” Season 34 premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 16, on ABC and Disney+.
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DWTS Pro Reveals the Heartbreaking Thing Her Daughter Said to Her Ahead of Season 34