Dancing With the Stars pros Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov are sharing their unfiltered thoughts on their past partners — many of whom they still keep up with.
“We’re in touch with everybody and we’re lucky to have great partners,” Pasha, 39, exclusively told Us Weekly during a joint interview with Daniella, 32.
Daniella noted that she “kind of” is in contact with Nelly since he’s “doing his own thing right now,” but gushed that NBA star Dwight Howard was in their house two weeks ago and Kate Flannery is an aunt to daughter Nikita. The couple also recently visited Ariana Madix’s “amazing” sandwich shop — but Pasha noted he doesn’t keep tabs on Carole Baskin.
“The last text that I think she sent me, she sent a screenshot — I was already out of the competition — so she sent me a screenshot of her votes and she’s voting … for Dani and her partner,” Pasha said.
Daniella joined the show as a professional dancer in 2019 with Nelly as her partner, returning in 2021 when she won with Iman. She has since been partnered with Joseph Baena, Jason Mraz and Dwight in seasons 31, 32 and 33, respectively. Pasha, for his part, was first paired with Kate and went on to be coupled up with Carole, Christine Chiu, Teresa Giudice, Ariana and Tori Spelling in seasons 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, respectively.
Scroll down to see Daniella and Pasha’s thoughts on their past partners:
Who Practiced the Hardest?
While Joe was a “close second,” Daniella noted that Iman took the title for practicing the most and would study their dancing videos.
“He’d be like, ‘Can you send me the video of us practicing earlier on? I wanna just make sure I have it before bed?’” she recalled. “And he would study it and I was like, ‘This guy is not watching the videos.’ He’d come back the next day, perfected everything we’ve worked on.”
While he had his doubts about making it far in the competition, Daniella shared that something “switched” in Iman after they received “so much praise” for their Halloween dance.
For Pasha, Ariana and Kate practiced the hardest out of his past partners.
DWTS’ Daniella and Pasha Spill Real Feelings on Judges, Themes and Showmances
Who Dreaded or Complained About Rehearsals the Most?
Daniella, who began laughing, admitted, “Sometimes Jason Mraz.” She explained that the musician thought the couple would go home during week three and allegedly booked a gig. Despite his lack of faith, Daniella gushed that Jason was “probably one of the most talented human beings” she worked with on the show.
Pasha, for his part, decided to pass on sharing who dreaded or complained about rehearsals the most.
Who Was the Most Naturally Talented Dancer?
Daniella noted that Jason was “so talented,” admitting she thinks they would have won if he had more confidence. She also explained that Iman “did not care about what people thought.”
“He’s just naturally so gifted and so aware of my body,” Daniella said, to which Pasha explained that Iman would hold his wife “like a basketball.”
When it comes to his partners, Pasha shared that Ariana had the most rhythm.
Daniella Karagach Danced With 2 Fractured Heels on ‘DWTS’ Last Season
Who Surprised Them the Most?
Daniella shared that Iman surprised her the most because he was not a dancer, but “loved” the act of it. “I would walk into the studio, he would be practicing,” she said. “He just loved it. He loved the craft. He had a respect for it.”
Pasha called Kate a “dark horse,” noting that she was one of the older contestants on that season and was able to put an “extra twist” on every choreography they did.
“There was really not much expectation,” he explained. “She came in and she just was able to tap into her acting. She learned the steps, [learned] the technique.”
Who Did They Have to Change Their Teaching for the Most?
Daniella shared that she “literally had to create a frame from scratch” in order to dance with Dwight. “I was at his waist. I can’t even physically reach him. My arms weren’t long enough. We had to create a whole different formula,” she noted.
Pasha noted that he stood on a bench in their living room to recreate Dwight’s height — but he couldn’t replicate the NBA player’s wingspan. “She was like, ‘OK, what am I going to do with this height?’” he said.
Pasha, for his part, said he had to choreograph a dance each week to a cat-themed song for Carole.
“She had zero dance experience, zero performance experience or anything to do with music at all,” he explained. “We had to figure out a way of how to memorize the steps, how to hear the beat better and everything. It was definitely an interesting experience, especially me being dressed as a cat also, like being like a full lion where I can’t really hear myself or see anything, what’s going on behind the mask still trying to lead my partner. Definitely had to adjust a lot.”
Daniella Karagach Slams Rumors She Doesn’t Choreograph Her ‘DWTS’ Dances
Who Do They Think Didn’t Get a Fair Shot?
Daniella noted that she wished Joe could have stuck around longer. “I feel like the votes weren’t as strong so I think that didn’t carry us through,” Daniella said. “I feel like the moment he got eliminated was actually the moment that week where he really started improving and it was like the highest of his ability. And then I felt like there was a little breaking point where he was, like, really on a high.”
Pasha shared that Christine was a “great dancer” and was “improving really fast” and “learning really fast” but doesn’t think the couple had enough votes or support. “As a dancer, I think if we were making it further I think there was a lot we could have done with her,” he said.
Who Do They Most Want to Dance With Again?
Daniella gushed that she would want to dance with Jason again — only starting at a point where he was confident in himself.
“[The freestyle] was such a high for him and he pulled me aside afterwards and he’s like, ‘This was the best time of my life. Like, I actually truly fell in love with dance. I fell in love with myself. I found my confidence.’ He thanked me. He was like, ‘This process, I wish I kind of had more confidence in it earlier on,’” Daniella said.
Pasha shared that she was able to dance with two of his partners during the DWTS Live 2025 Tour, where he shared a moment with Kate and Ariana. “We did a little trio,” he said. “It was amazing.”
For more from Daniella and Pasha, watch the video above, Dancing With the Stars will return to ABC in fall 2025.
