'DWTS': How pro-dancer Pasha Pashkov met his wife Daniella Karagach
Some matches are made in heaven, others are made on reality TV. But for the pro-dancers of 'Dancing With The Stars', a lot of magic can happen on the dance floor. And if there is anyone who can vouch for that, it would have to be 'DWTS' pro-dancer, Pasha Pashkov.
While he might have only two seasons under his belt, Pashkov has performed with the likes of Kate Flannery, Carole Baskin, and now, in Season 30, he'll be helping Bling Empire's Christine Chiu to shake a leg. Here's a look at the dancer's track record thus far!
READ MORE
Who is Jojo Siwa's partner on ‘DWTS’? 'Dance Moms' star to make history
Will Joe Exotic be freed? 'Tiger King' to be resentenced in Carole Baskin murder-for-hire plot
Who is Pasha Pashkov?
Pasha Pashkov is a Ballroom dancer and choreographer. He began dancing at the age of 11; however, he decided to quit the art form after losing his first competition. "I started dancing back in school in Russia, Perm. We had a dance class in school. The teacher who taught that class was a Ballroom teacher. After school, she was teaching kids Ballroom dancing. She came up to my brother, (he is my older brother but was in the same school), and told him that I had potential and maybe I should try." he explained, in an interview with Dance Sport Info.
"So my brother told my parents, and I started going to that school. I liked it. I participated in one competition a couple of months later, but did not do that well and stopped dancing. It was not really because I did not do well, but because I was doing a lot of other stuff like tennis, swimming and taekwondo. I couldn't possibly do it all." he added.
It wasn't until a friend's mother asked him to be her daughter's dance partner, that he reconsidered. "I went to the studio and I loved the coaches there." he explained in an interview. "At first, I stayed mainly because of the social environment… Of course, once you start getting good results, you feel encouraged." he added. However, his journey was not eays, seeing that after his family moved to the USA from Russia, he was not keen on dancing as he didn't have a partner here. His parents supported him through his journey and even encouraged him to move to New York at 15, to pursue his dream.
"Well, my parents trusted me. They knew I was responsible. I was a very serious kid (laughing). I loved Ballroom dancing and I knew that this was what I wanted to do." he explained, seeing that there was no scope for the art form in Ohio, where his parents settled at the time. "The opportunities in New York were great. I had a partner and coaches and my parents did not want me to lose this opportunity.." he added.
He is married to fellow 'DWTS' pro, Daniella Karagach
Karagach and Pashkov met when the former was 16, and the latter was 22, and they soon became dance partners. Incidentally, 'DWTS' brought them together! "My previous partner went to "Dancing with the Stars", so I was looking for a new partner. My Standard coach said to me that I should try to dance with Daniella." he explained. "I was not sure, as there was six and a half year difference between us. This is a big age difference. However, my coach said: "doesn't matter, she is a right partner for you", and that was it. So…I called her up and I asked her to dance with me." he added.
It was clearly the right move, seeing that the couple is a seven-time United States 10-Dance Champion and Latin Champions. They are also the first US couple in forty years to represent the US in all four styles at the world championships, Latin, Ballroom, Ten dance and Show dance, as reported by the Dancing With The Stars Fandom page.
His 'DWTS' track record
Although Pashkov has only performed on two seasons of the show, his partners have always been iconic celebrities, so to speak. In Season 28, he performed with Kate Flannery, popularly known for her role as Meredith Palmer on the hit TV show, 'The Office'. The duo placed seventh on the show. In Season 29, he performed with Carole Baskin who became a household name after Netflix's 'Tiger King' documentary. The duo placed 14th. He'll be performing with TV personality Christine Chiu from Netflix's 'Bling Empire' this season.
Season 30 of 'Dancing With The Stars' premieres on September 20 at 8/7c on ABC. You can also stream the Episodes on abc.com and Hulu.
