Daniela Andrea Avanzini Llorente (born July 1, 2004), known
mononymously
A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person.
A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...
as Daniela and also as Daniela Avanzini, is an American singer and dancer. She began her career as a professional dancer, and was a top 10 finalist in season 13 of the dance competition series ''
So You Think You Can Dance
''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
''. As a singer, she debuted as a member of the
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
Katseye
Katseye (pronounced "cat's eye"; stylized in all caps) is a girl group based in Los Angeles, California. The group is composed of six members: Manon, Sophia, Daniela Avanzini, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae. With members from the Philippi ...
, formed through the 2023 reality show ''
Dream Academy
''The Debut: Dream Academy'' is a talent competition reality show created as an international collaboration between record labels Hybe and Geffen Records aimed at creating a global girl group. The fan-interactive project involves 20 female can ...
'' created by
Hybe
Hybe Co., Ltd. (; stylized as Hybe Corporation; commonly known as simply Hybe) is a South Korean multinational entertainment company established in 2005 by Bang Si-hyuk as Big Hit Entertainment Co., Ltd.
The company operates as a record lab ...
and
Geffen Records
Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
.
Early life
Daniela Avanzini was born on July 1, 2004, in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
to Ana Llorente, originally from
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. With both parents being professional Latin ballroom dancers and
dancesport
Dancesport is competitive ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. In the case of Para dancesport, at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair.
Dancesport events are sanctioned and regulated by dancesport organizat ...
instructors, she was exposed to music and dance at a young age through them, learning dancesport when she was 3 years old. She later moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
in her youth in order to pursue her dance career.
She is of
Venezuelan
Venezuelans (Spanish language, Spanish: ''venezolanos'') are the Citizenship, citizens identified with the country of Venezuela. This connection may be through citizenship, descent or cultural. For most Venezuelans, many or all of these connect ...
,
Cuban
Cuban or Cubans may refer to:
Related to Cuba
* of or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean
* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent
** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof
* Cuban Americ ...
and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
heritage. Avanzini is fluent in English and Spanish and has some understanding of Italian.
Career
2011–2015: Competitive dancing, ''America's Got Talent, Queen Latifah Show,'' and ''So You Think You Can Dance''
Avanzini's dance career began with local competitions in Atlanta, but she soon took to international stages. In 2011, at seven years old, she was a 2nd place grand finalist at the international competition Super Kids Europe. In 2013, she made it to the Vegas Rounds of the eighth season of ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...
'' alongside her partner Yasha Jeltuhin as a samba dancer. She also participated in ''So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation'', where she was the first contestant eliminated, placing 10th.
Beyond dance competitions, Avanzini appeared on ''
The Queen Latifah Show
''The Queen Latifah Show'' is an American television talk show hosted by Queen Latifah. The original ''The Queen Latifah Show'' ran from September 13, 1999, to August 31, 2001. The revamped ''The Queen Latifah Show'' ran from September 16, 2013, ...
'' alongside Jeltuhin, as part of an "America's Most Talented Kids" segment. She has also worked as a model and actress in commercials, including for Haverty's Furniture at seven years old. In 2021, Avanzini appeared in the
independent film
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
''Georgia Sky'', where she portrayed a young dancer.
As a young dancer, she also explored herself through music. At age 11, she began uploading videos of herself singing and playing the ukulele to social media.
2016–2021: Professional dancing, "Dramatic", ''Wonderama''
In 2020, Avanzini appeared in the episode titled "Capital District Pipe, Chef Quani, Daniela Avanzini" as a dance guest in the latest revival of the American children's television series ''
Wonderama
''Wonderama'' is a children's television program that originally aired on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1977. The show was revived from 1980 to 1987, and again in 2016.
Hosts
* Al Hodge (as Captain Video 1955–1956)
* Jon Gna ...
'', performing an original choreography with
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
Arts and ent ...
,
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
,
acrobatic
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...
and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
elements. In 2021, she appeared in
MattyBRaps
Matthew David Morris (born January 6, 2003), better known as MattyB or MattyBRaps, is an American rapper, singer, and YouTuber. He launched his career at a young age by creating covers of popular music and posting them to YouTube.
Morris has ...
' music video for the song "Dramatic".
2021–present: ''Dream Academy'' and debut with Katseye
In 2021, Avanzini entered the Hybe and Geffen Records' global audition '' The Debut: Dream Academy'', a competition reality show aimed at creating a "global
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
". Her submission stood out for her singing and dancing skills, leading to her selection as one of the 20 contestants. She eventually placed third, which secured her spot in the resultant group
Katseye
Katseye (pronounced "cat's eye"; stylized in all caps) is a girl group based in Los Angeles, California. The group is composed of six members: Manon, Sophia, Daniela Avanzini, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae. With members from the Philippi ...
, also making her the first
Latin American
Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America).
Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...
descendant artist to sign under Hybe.
The group's debut single, "Debut", was released on June 28, 2024, and was subsequently included in their first
extended play
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
(EP), ''
SIS (Soft Is Strong)
''SIS (Soft Is Strong)'' is the debut extended play (EP) by girl group Katseye. It was released by Hybe UMG and Geffen Records on August 16, 2024. The EP is supported by two singles preceding its release—"Debut" in June and "Touch" in July.
B ...
''.
Discography
As a contestant of ''
Dream Academy
''The Debut: Dream Academy'' is a talent competition reality show created as an international collaboration between record labels Hybe and Geffen Records aimed at creating a global girl group. The fan-interactive project involves 20 female can ...
'', Avanzini participated in the promotional release of the contestants' shared songs for competition. It was performed on November 17, 2024 and released to streaming platforms on August 21, 2024.