Orly Portal dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, voice and movement therapist, a folklore explorer and the developer of a distinct dance language based on the creation of movement from deep release incorporating elements of belly dance, modern contemporary dance, contact improvisation and Feldenkrais.

Developer of the Portal method of physical and self awareness practices exploring the wisdom of tuning into the body and honing movement quality: Portal Awareness Through Belly Dance, focused on the delicate movement of the pelvis and its interaction with the body as a whole, taught as part of a comprehensive program that includes a special training course for instructors to pass on this knowledge around the world. Portal Improvisation practice, incorporating principles of Feldenkrais with improvisation while exploring the body and movement as a means to enhance awareness, improve movement capabilities and realize creative potential. Portal Repertoire Practice, The study of the Portal method principles through excerpts from the works of choreographer Orly Portal.

Born in 1969, Orly Portal graduated from the Department of Dance Studies at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance before continuing her professional career as a principal dancer with the Kol Demama Dance Company directed by Moshe Efrati (integrating dancers with and without hearing impairment) and the Batsheva Dance Company. As the co-founder of the Improvisa Ensemble she further explored the art of improvisation while all the time expanding her knowledge and delving deeper into Arab folklore, studying authentic Arab music at the Bar Ilan University and traveling to Morocco to learn firsthand the roots dance of the Gnawa and Berber tribes.

For over 25 years, Orly Portal has performed on many stages and festivals in Israel and around the world and has collaborated with leading artists from various fields, including Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Timna Brauer and Eli Meiri, Shai Dayan, Mark Eliyahu, Albert Amar, Yair Dalal, Eyal Sela, and Bustan Abraham among others. In 2009, she founded the Orly Portal Dance Company for which she created original choreographies introducing ancient dance through contemporary expression while applying insights from her extensive research. "Laylat Hob", "Gnawiya", "Between the Open and the Hidden", "Between the Worlds"- a co-production with the Ashkelon Mediterranean Andalusian Orchestra, "Rabia", "Swiria", and Portal's recent choreography of "The Rite of Spring of Farid El-Atrache" have received rave reviews, marking Orly Portal's multidisciplinary innovative dance creation as one-of-a-kind, mesmerizing and inspiring.