Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and moreStay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Daniella Karagach is no stranger to the Dancing with the Stars ballroom. The longtime pro has become a fan favorite on the hit ABC competition, and this season she returns with a brand-new partner: The Traitors breakout star Dylan Efron.Speaking to The Independent ahead of the show’s September 16 premiere, the 32-year-old said she’s “so excited” to get started. Together, she and Efron will take on 13 other couples each week in pursuit of the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.However, the excitement is bittersweet. Karagach knows the weeks ahead will bring long days and late nights away from her young daughter.Married to fellow DWTS pro Pasha Pashkov for more than a decade, the couple welcomed their daughter, Nikita, in May 2023.“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 says. open image in galleryDaniella Karagach has opened up about parenting while pursuing her ‘DWTS’ career (Getty)“It breaks my heart. And I’m just like, this is the worst thing ever. But at the same time, I know that, give it some time, she’s gonna get older and be proud of me.”Nikita might not understand it now, but there is already much for her to be proud of. Her mom is a Mirrorball Trophy winner from her Season 30 partnership with former NBA star Iman Shumpert. She’s also an Emmy-nominated choreographer for her work on the show.Karagach was just three months postpartum when she returned to DWTS after giving birth to “Kiki,” as she calls her.“It was hard,” she reflects. “You’re pumping in the bathroom — pumping was a full-time job. You do one turn and your uterus feels like it’s gonna fall out. open image in galleryDaniella Karagach, Pasha Pashkov and their daughter, Nikita (Getty Images for Disney)“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.”Karagach felt that same pressure earlier this year while on the Dancing With the Stars Live tour, traveling across the U.S. Fortunately, Nikita traveled with her and Pashkov as they danced their way from city to city. But that, too, came with its own set of challenges.“I love that she’s able to come on tour with us,” Karagash says. “And yes, it’s hard. There’s sometimes where you’re done doing your show and you just did your 67th city and you want to go on the bus and literally just lay down and sleep, but your child is there and she wants all the attention in the world. “So there are moments where you’re like, OK, I have to entertain another human being for the next three hours and I have no energy left in me.”Still, she’s grateful for her support system — including the DWTS fans, who, she says, were gracious and understanding when she couldn’t always sign autographs and take photos.“Usually when we’re on tour, we like to go out and see the fans and say hi,” Karagach explains. “This tour specifically, I had little to no time with the fans after the show because I have to put my child to bed. I have to spend some time with her. I don’t see her all day. “So they’re very understanding,” she continues. “We have the best fan base, but there’s a lot of mom guilt that comes with it.”Dancing With the Stars premieres September 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Daniella Karagach opens up about ‘mom guilt’ while raising daughter and competing on DWTS
