How many diplomats does it take to open a 'Nutcracker'?

THE SOCIAL NETWORK:It must have been quiet on Ailesbury Road on Tuesday evening, as ambassadors from around the world attended the opening night of Ballet Ireland's The Nutcracker at the Gaiety. The Indian ambassador, Debashish Chakravarti, and the Australian ambassador, Bruce Davis, were among the many representatives who attended the classic Christmas ballet.

The general posture of attendees was also above average, with many guests displaying the poise of past or present lives in dance. Ballet Ireland’s director Anne Maher caught up with her friends Rosemarie Sisk and Gia Lambkin, daughter of the late Myrtle Lambkin.

Joan Griffith remembered dancing as a young adult in Cork with Joan Denise Moriarty. Griffith now works for Russborough House. She was there with her daughter Rachel and was giving her friend Liz McClory a lift home to Baltyboys House in Co Wicklow. McClory is the owner of the house where the prima ballerina and founder of the Royal Ballet, Dame Ninette de Valois, was born and spent her early years. McClory said she met the dancer when de Valois was 101.

Rowena Neville of Business to Arts and Fund It attended with her sister Dr Siobhán Neville of Temple Street Hospital. Fund It, a crowdfunding website for creative projects, has given out €1 million since its inception to 350 artistic projects, including the new album by Julie Feeney.

Guest principal on the night was the Co Down ballerina, and soloist with the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden, Melissa Hamilton, who was flying back to London the next morning for an evening performance. Dancers Cormac Murphy from Cork and London-based Ryan Goscinski enjoyed a glass of wine, but would be back in the gym in the morning, they said.

Who we spottedLady Annie Arnott; ballet dancer Cara Gregg, who was there with Declan Meehan and pianist Seán Óg Boylan, the son of the former Meath football manager Seán Boylan.