Dancing has always been a significant part of Diana Sorokova’s life. Born and raised in Slovakia, Diana started taking ballet and gymnastics classes at seven years old. She fell in love with movement from the moment she stepped into her first dance class. So much so that she attended a high school that specialized in Classical Ballet. As a testament to her incredible skill as a ballerina, Diana was given a place with the ballet company at the opera house in Kosice, the only student in her class who received this offer in her sophomore year.
Diana Sorokova continued to advance her ballet training after graduating from high school. In college, she went to the Royal Conservatoire in the United Kingdom. During her audition, the skill she showed earned her a spot directly into the second year of the program. While a Royal Conservatoire student, Diana was offered a job with a premier contemporary dance company based in Mexico. Diana’s work with the dance company has taken her on tour, performing in various cities in Mexico and the United States.
Even with all the years of training she had as a ballerina, Diana Sorokova still felt she was not as strong as she needed to be as a dancer. This deficit was made evident to her when she started working with a contemporary dance company. “Contemporary dance is quite different from ballet,” Diana shares, “My body was not used to it. My teachers often commented on my being weak.” This drive to become healthier is what jump-started Diana’s fitness journey.
Diana Sorokova began incorporating strength training alongside ballet, pilates and yoga. She was apprehensive about lifting weights at first, but she says that it improved her abilities as a dancer. “Strength training changed the way I could move my body. I became faster, I felt lighter, and I could jump higher. My balance and flexibility vastly improved as well,” Diana shares.
Fitness became a significant part of Diana Sorokova’s life from that point on. Diana moved to New York, working on different projects and shows while studying everything she could about fitness and nutrition. Diana Sorokova became a certified personal trainer and started working with individual clients and teaching group classes. “It was gratifying to see how my combined passion for dance and fitness transformed my clients’ lives,” this personal trainer shares.
With Diana’s background and experience, it comes as no surprise that she named her training program BALLERINA STRONG. As a personal trainer, Diana Sorokova focuses on strength and flexibility training with an added artistic flair. “My clients don’t have to be dancers to benefit from my program. I made it for anyone who wants to be strong and graceful at the same time,” Diana shares.
With BALLERINA STRONG, Diana Sorokova coaches her clients on the art of movement. “My classes are not your typical cardio class or weight lifting session. It is a unique hybrid of the two,” says Diana, “I help my clients explore their mobility, improve their flexibility, build strength, and deepen the mind-body connection while having an enjoyable workout.
Eventually, Diana Sorokova also got specialized training in Fitness Nutrition and Orthopedic Exercise. “My work as a dancer has exposed me to the issues people faced regarding nutrition and injuries. In the dance industry, many people assume that we don’t eat because we have to maintain a certain weight or look. But because dance is a very physical type of work, we need to eat right to maintain our health. Injuries are also common in dancers, so as a personal trainer, I took it upon myself to learn how to work around previous or current injuries, so my clients remain safe in my classes.”
BALLERINA STRONG is a three-in-one coaching plan that includes strength training, flexibility training, and nutrition coaching. Diana Sorokova takes concepts from dance and weight training and creates a highly individualized program for her clients. She helps her clients set achievable goals and adopt healthier lifestyle habits. Diana’s whole body workout plans are carefully crafted to improve core strength, posture, balance, coordination, flexibility and mobility while building lean and strong muscles.
For more information about Diana and BALLERINA STRONG, you may visit her website.
