Ramírez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. From an early age, Dania knew that she wanted to be in front of a camera. As a young child, she would reenact Spanish soap operas for her family. She was discovered by a modeling scout while working in a New York City convenience store at the age of 15, and was cast in a small part in a soda commercial. Years later, she decided to pursue acting seriously and studied at the Actor's Workshop in New York City under Flo Greeberg. After completing a degree at Montclair State University in New Jersey, she moved to Los Angeles.