Orla grew up in the Lake District and began her dance training on the Centre for Advanced Training programme at The Lowry, Manchester. At CAT, she worked with choreographers such as Odette Hughes from Company Wayne McGregor and Jean Abreu. She also began training on the Royal Ballet Associate scheme from the ages of 8-16.
At 16, she started full-time training at Kate Simmons Dance, where she came away with a Level 4 Diploma in Dance Education, before moving on to Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. There, she worked with choreographers such as Thick and Tight, Arielle Smith, Darren Ellis and Christopher Bruce. She performed Christopher Bruce’s restaged piece, Stream, at the Royal Opera House in 2019. She was awarded the Charlotte Kirkpatrick award in 2019. Orla graduated from Rambert School with a first class honours degree in 2020.
Other choreographers she has worked with include Matthew Bourne for his production of Romeo and Juliet, and Katie Serridge on a dish of figs in fine weather as part of the Gradlab project. Orla's teaching/choreographic experience includes The Zombie, a short film project with Hampshire Youth Dance Company.
