The Venerable Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya

Founder, Spiritual Director, Dance Director

Prajwal grew up in Khatmandhu, Nepal, in a renowned family of scholars and priests of the Vajracharya caste, steeped in the traditions of the Newar culture. As his worldly education. His Vajracharya Vishekha initiation by his father, a nationally-recognized lineage holder in the Newar Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, ordained him to perform the rituals and ceremonies of this ancient religion. Since that time he has received additional training and initiations in Nepal to enable him to further his ministry, initiate others, and preside over the 2009 consecration of the Nritya Mandala Mahvihara, the first fully-functioning Newar Vajrayana Buddhist temple in the West. Prajwal is often called upon to perform sacred dances and other religious rituals throughout the world. At home, he provides daily rituals and meditation in the temple, cultural ceremonies such as weddings, frequent teachings on Vajrayana Buddhist principles, and a variety of spiritual training including meditation. He provides offerings of tea and light refreshments following morning meditation and, in keeping with tradition, often concludes spiritual and cultural celebrations with Newar feasts for the temple community. 

“Prajwal is a generous human being who extends compassion and wisdom in everyday life as well as throughout his formalized teaching . He lives up to the ethics and ideals of his Buddhist founders, who strive to remove the suffering of others as a primary goal in life.”

— Ter Ellington, Professor of Comparative Religion & Ethnomusicology at Washington University

Bio:- http://www.dancemandal.com/wp-content/uploads/Bio-PDF.pdf

Interview in Tricycle https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/charya-nritya/

Helen Fox Appell II

Founder, Artistic Director

Helen came to Charya dance with a constellation of talents, experience, and knowledge that uniquely prepared her to delve deeply into this sacred art and become a major figure in its establishment in the West. A serious Buddhist practitioner, she studied Vajrayana for many years in India and as an ordained Zen priest co-founded No Abode Hermitage in Marin County, California, engaging as well in study of Sanskrit and Tibetan. Artistically gifted, Helen also brought a finely honed aesthetic sensibility developed through creative engagement with a range of arts, such as woodcarving, music, and dance; the study of several musical instruments and training in western painting, Tibetan thangka painting, and Indian classical singing. Seeking to integrate her interests in yogic arts and dance into her Dharma path, she began to study Charya Nritya with Prajwal Vajracharya, progressed to performing with him, and now choreographs and teaches. They co-founded Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, the first Newar Buddhist temple and study center in the west, to serve as a traditional ritual space for this ancient Tantric tradition . In her role as Creative and Organizational Director, Helen is devoted to unveiling the spiritual integrity of Charya dance in its new setting.

“Helen has contributed greatly while advancing her spiritual path, not only for herself individually but also for the whole community.… She is personally deeply dedicated to the spiritual path and the exploration of the spiritual world. I’ve known Helen for a long time and I am greatly inspired by her genuine spiritual exploration.”

— Yangsi Rinpoche, Founder of Maitripa College

Corinne Nakamura

Corinne Nakamura is a founding board member, and currently serves as secretary for Nritya Mandala Mahavihara. She has been a community member of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara for twelve years, and served as a core advisor to NMM before its incorporation in 2013. Additionally, Corinne is a senior student and mentor for students of Dance Mandal. She regularly offers her dance practice through performance at the Portland Temple and has traveled internationally to perform with Prajwal and other Charya dancers.

Before settling in Portland, Oregon, her passion for Buddhism has led her to study with several renowned Buddhist teachers all over the world. In 2008, she earned a Master’s Degree in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism from Naropa University with a dual focus on the arts as sacred texts and Sanskrit language. Corinne was an instructor while concurrently a student at Naropa University. She integrated contemplative art practices into classes that spanned the departments of Contemplative Psychology and the Fine Arts.

Corinne is Vice President of Visual Communication at Metropolitan Group, a bi-national social change agency working exclusively with foundations, non-profits and government agencies. She is a wife, mother, snowboarder and artist.

Kuon Hunt

Treasurer and ViceChair

Kuon has been Prajwal Vajracharya’s student and a member of the community for nearly 20 years. She is a Charya dancer and is currently writing Prajwal Vajracharya’s biography.

She began her work life as a technical assistant supporting scientific endeavors at General Atomics in San Diego and the Hawaii Institutes of Geophysics and Astronomy in Honolulu. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Psychology later in life, and post-graduate work at the Pacific Institute for Bioethics, she became the Administrative Director for the non-profit Pacific Institute. She is a past President and Chair of the Board of the North American Simulation and Gaming Association, an academic organization. She has edited the “Games” section of SIMULATION AND GAMING:  An International Journal of Theory, Practice and Research, working with authors to get their educational interactive “games” through a peer review process and into print. Through her own consulting firm, Simulation Technologies, she has done organizational development work with a variety of organizations, including both the American Institute for Managing Diversity and Coca Cola in Atlanta, the Diablo Nuclear Power Plant in California, and the US Army Corps or Engineers.

Uppa Shakya

Now a member of Nritya Mandal Mahavihara’s board, Uppa has been volunteering for Nritya Mandala Mahavihara for the last ten years. She is originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, where she was an active member and a senior student of Dance Mandal from its inception in Nepal in 1996. She started learning Charya Nritya, the ancient form of sacred Buddhist dance, when she was sixteen, and has studied with both the late Ratna Kaji Guruju and Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya. She has performed and promoted Charya dance in multiple countries in Asia and Europe.

Uppa got her Bachelor’s degree in Business in 2002 and worked as a Senior Accountant for a financial company in Nepal. She lived in Sydney for a year before moving to the United States in 2010. She received her second Bachelor’s Degree in Integrated Studies from Eastern Oregon University in 2018, and is now working for Data Center Operations at AWS. She has previously worked as a substitute teacher and a Certified Nursing Assistant.

Dance is Uppa’s passion. She also loves taking care of elderly people, spending time with kids and gardening. She has been performing regularly at scheduled events at Nritya Mandala Mahavihara since she migrated to the US.