As with anything, it's all in what you make of it. I had no desire to go, but once my work informed me that there was no other option and the plane tickets were purchased, it was my mission to salvage something out of the trip. So of course I went online and looked for dance classes.

Turns out Oklahoma City has a sizable belly dance community, featuring cabaret-style, folkloric-inspired and tribal-oriented dancers and classes. There were classes available at several locations around town and at the University of Oklahoma.

I even found a studio, Aalim Internationale, that is a nonprofit dedicated primarily to Middle Eastern dance. Dinner performances were available at some of the local Mediterranean and Indian restaurants.

It was a nice surprise to find such enthusiasm for one of my favorite pastimes in the land of cows and concrete mini malls. The fact that there were classes available made the long stay in Middle America a little more palatable. After confirming that commuting by bicycle in a city that has no sidewalks and no bike lanes is completely insane, I managed to borrow a car and took a few belly dance classes and one hip-hop class.

Although I met some nice people and came away with a few good ideas, overall the classes I took went over about as well as my experience eating seafood downtown: It's just what it is and where it is, and there's no point in comparing.

I realized how unique Juneau is in terms of the number and quality of dance classes - belly dance or otherwise - available for a community of this size. And the fact that the dancers, again no matter what kind of dance it is, all play well together is evident in events such as Dancefest!

In talking with some of the belly dancers, I sensed considerable tension between troupes in Oklahoma City and especially between cabaret and tribal-style dancers. Fortunately in Juneau, we all seem to get along well. We share information openly and support each other's events and performances. A wide range of skills and style preferences attend both the cabaret-style belly dance workshop hosted by Daughters of the New Moon in the fall and the more tribal-oriented event held by Patshiva in early spring.

There are enough classes in Juneau that you can fill most of your available time on weeknights, and beginners are always welcome at gatherings.

Case in point: the hafla (Middle Eastern-style dance party) scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at the American Legion Hall in Auke Bay. The community is invited to participate in this free event. Bring some food to share, a drum or other musical instrument if you'd like to play, and be ready to dance and socialize. There will be at least a few performances, open dancing, a music jam and a little Juneau dance hospitality.

• Samia Savell can be contacted at samiasun@hotmail.com.