Sorel was raised in Brooklyn Heights; her father was a physician, and her mother taught music.

[2] Sorel was proficient in several genres of dance, including modern,[3] black bottom,[4] and flamenco.

[5] She danced in Broadway shows including The Rose of Stamboul (1922), Michio Itō's Pin Wheel (1922), The Earl Carroll Vanities (1925), After Such Pleasures (1934), and Saluta (1934).

"Her gifts as a dancer have long been recognized," wrote The New York Times dance critic John Martin of her work on Everywhere I Roam (1939), adding that she showed additional promise as a choreographer, "designing dances for dramatic productions, and she has done it brilliantly and without compromise.

[15] In 1943 she helped to create the Negro Dance Company,[16][17][18] and gave a recital at the Labor Stage Theatre.