This Weekend in Foxboro: The Nutcracker at the Orpheum, Holiday on Ice at Winter Skate, and More

Dec. 14

Authentic Ananda with Manda Dougherty

With the end of the year around the corner-many emotions come into play. Whether that's holiday cheer, hustle and bustle, or perhaps mere feelings of confusion and sadness-there is a lot at stake. Self care is something around the holiday seasons, along with fall and winter that gets put on the back burner. Holidays mean a lot of different things for different people. Whether its the most wonderful time of the year for you or perhaps the hardest. This workshop is for everyone.

Ananda means "bliss" in sanskrit. In this workshop we will explore the authenticity of taking care of our home base-ourselves. We will work with a base of vinyasa, with some long deep strategic holds, while concluding with restorative. What we want to do is harmonize the mind, body and spirit all together. Combining all of these styles you will leave deeply stretched, rooted to your inner being, emotionally grounded and well you'll have one heck of a savasana.

Join Firefly Yoga from noon - 2 p.m. The class is $35.

Dec. 15

Meet Special Patriots Guests & Help Patients in Need: Patriot Place Blood Drive 

Calling all Patriots fans/Patriot Place neighbors! The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will host the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital Blood Mobile for a public blood drive on Sunday, December 15, 9 AM-3 PM at Patriot Place (across from Davio’s Steakhouse). Donors can meet and take photos with special guests – including Patriots alumni, mascot Pat Patriot, and Patriots cheerleaders – and will also receive a Patriots gift bag. Please schedule an appointment in advance by emailing BloodDonor@partners.org with the subject heading “Patriots” and two preferred donation times. The Patriots ask that blood donors and other friends also drop off a new, unwrapped toy at the Patriots Activity Center (across from Saga Hibachi). Patriots players will personally deliver all donated toys to children in need at upcoming holiday events.

Questions about eligibility or the blood donation process? Please call the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center at Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s at 617-632-3206 or visit www.dana-farber.org/blooddonation. Thank you for making a life-saving difference

'Holiday on Ice' Comes to Winter Skate at Patriot Place December 15

Winter Skate at Patriot Place presented by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a popular outdoor ice skating venue, will host “Holiday on Ice” on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. Admission is a donation of $5 or a new or gently used coat, with proceeds benefiting Cradles to Crayons. 

“Holiday on Ice” will feature special guests Jade Esposito and Nathan Rensing, Alex Shaughnessy and Jimmy Morgan, Kyoko Yano, Taylor Rocco and Adrian Huertas and performances by figure skating clubs Pawtucket and Providence Figure Skating Club, The Skating Club of Boston, Colonial Figure Skating Club, Warwick Figure Skaters, Smithfield Figure Skating Club and Norfolk Frost Skating Club.

Esposito and Rensing, skating at the Juvenile Pairs level, won the silver medal earlier this month at the 2014 Eastern Sectionals Figure Skating Championship in Ashburn, Va. and have qualified for the 2014 U.S. National Figure Skating Championship in Boston next month. Their program, "Boston Strong," is dedicated to the spirit and courage of the people throughout the Greater Boston area.

To learn more, click here.

Fisher Academy of Ballet presents "the Nutcracker"

Fisher Academy of Ballet presents the holiday classic, "The Nutcracker" at the Orpheum Theater in Foxboro MA on December 15th, 2013 at 6pm.  

Guest Artists Kristina Liu and Vincent Brewer from Festival Ballet Providence will be performing the lead roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

The Nutcracker is a great first time ballet for children and adults alike.  It is a magical story about a girl who receives a Nutcracker for Christmas, fights giant mice alongside toy soldiers under the Christmas tree, meets snow fairies, and travels to Candy Land.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at: http://fisheracademyofballetnutcracker.bpt.me