Angeling for Tech Squares

Experienced dancers who dance the class tips are commonly referred to as angels. You don't have to be a perfect dancer to be an angel; you just need to be friendly to those in the class and to be supportive of the caller. Here are some guidelines.

 Be friendly and welcoming

• Talk to students during breaks. 
• Be sympathetic when they make mistakes or don't get everything immediately. (odds are, you didn't either when you were first learning)

Give class members a chance to learn

• Try to wait for the last possible second before telling the class what to do
• Don't drag the class through calls, give them a chance to remember what to do
• If you do need to help the class through a call, tell them what they're doing so they'll learn
• Keep formations precise so class members can see them

Be a good influence

• Be calm and positive, even when the square is having trouble
• Do your part of calls well
• Dance calls accurately (no flourishes until the class knows them)
• Use handholds to establish formations

Be available

• If you choose to angel a tip, ask a class member to dance, then square up as quickly as possible. Class members can be shy and inexperienced at finding partners, so it's important to ask them to dance.
• Try to have at most 4 class members in each square. Having at least half angels helps the caller and class. 
• If a class member didn't get into a square, and your square has 3 or fewer class, offer the student a spot. 
• Don't be afraid to start a new square, especially if other squares are mostly full and you're dancing with a weak class member. 
• If you get to square early, consider coming to walkthrus to dance with the class then. 

Know your own abilities

• If you haven't danced in a while, or are concerned you might not remember the calls being taught, square up with another club member and not a class member. 
• Don't explain calls if you're not sure about them yourself.

Let the Class Coordinator do their job

• The Class Coordinator will get to know the Class well, so you should generally let them do what they want
• If the Class Coordinator asks for another square, and you're willing to dance, go join the square. Even if all the class are in squares, another square may be needed so that squares can be rebalanced.
• If you have concerns about your square being too weak or having too many class, politely let the Class Coordinator know. They may rebalance, or they more decide that getting people dancing sooner is more important.
• The Class Coordinator may move couples or individuals between squares, or ask you to step out so a class member can have your place. Cooperate with this if possible. 
• Tell the class coordinator if you have concerns about class members

Let the Caller do their job

• Let the Caller teach. Class members should learn to listen to the caller, not to the club members around them.
• If you can easily correct a class member (i.e. "you're with me" or "turn around") go ahead, but if the square has larger problems, let the caller deal with it.
• Avoid muttering/cross-talk while the caller is calling or teaching