Maria Fratus

Maria's passion for movement, exercise, and fitness began at the age of 10 when she started taking tap, jazz, and ballet classes. Dance quickly became an important and necessary part of her life as she spent most of her spare time in her studio studying and teaching classes. After high school, she attended the University of South Carolina, where she not only pursued a BA but also was a member of the Carolina Coquettes, the USC Marching Band's dance team. Shortly before graduating, she began her fitness career, teaching cardio classes at a local gym. After college she moved to Germany where she opened a small dance studio and continued her fitness career, instructing classes on a military base. She later returned to the U.S. and earned an MA from the University of Baltimore. Although she worked for many years in the corporate world as a writer, she never let go of her passion to move; she continued teaching fitness classes part time, and eventually, after the birth of her twin daughters, she left the corporate world to explore new disciplines of fitness and exercise including yoga and Tae Kwon Do. Now with more than 20 years of experience as a fitness instructor, she spends much of her time in the group exercise studio teaching a variety of classes, including Step, Zumba, Kickboxing, Yoga, Pilates (mat and reformer), and Balletone. She also teaches English part-time at a local community college. Maria is a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer and has a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. She is also a Balletone Master Trainer and AFAA and ACE CEU provider.