Irish set dance Church in the form of the Public Dance Halls Act 1935. The rise of rock and roll in the 1950s caused the popularity of set dancing to fade. However, in the 1980s a revival started and many sets that have not been done for forty years or more are being recovered and danced again. To start, four couples are arranged in the form of a square to dance with each couple being in the middle of the sides of the square. Both the eight dancers in the group and the dance itself are called a "set". The dance is a
Contra dance the traditionally male-role dancers would wear armbands and be called "armbands" or just "bands," and the traditionally female-role dancers would be called "bare arms" or just "bares." In the past few years, the terms "larks" (person on the left) and "ravens" (person on the right) have become the predominant gender-free role terms, and are being used at an increasing number of dances (especially in urban areas). This trend has been widely embraced by many dancers (especially youth), but it has also sparked controversy among traditionalists. Unless explicitly labeled otherwise, contra dance events are open to all, regardless of experience. They