And moving diagonally will give you more movement per length of the ring. Just to add another couple notes on balance. Particularly if they are separate in time at all. For that reason alone, I will sometimes put the two close together in a program. But it's not something I insist on.
Balance is it's own reward.
While it may not always be immediately noticeable that you are doing moves in different directions, what IS noticeable is when they are always going the same way. Circles, spins and laterals in particular can cause a routine to seem a little less balanced if always done in one direction. With laterals, if your dog only goes one way, try doing a lateral in front of you to make it seem as though you're going the other way. The hardest thing for me in doing this routine is adding some semblance of dance to my own movements. I remember a discussion awhile back about the difference between CFF and MCSI, dog versus handler moving to the music.