CLUB REVIEW : An Erotic Swirl at ‘Move to Groove Ball’

With too many performers seemingly responding to some bizarre Vegas complex when they hit the stage of the House of Blues--playing each song as if it were their last--at least once a month the performances there are worthy of an encore.

At the “Move to Groove Ball,” which occurs one Wednesday each month at the West Hollywood club (the next one is April 5), promoter Brent Bolthouse has concocted a night of steamy dancing and inspired eroticism. “Move to Groove” is the high-profile club’s first dance night, and Bolthouse--who’s brought L.A. a bevy of disco dance nights over the past few years--concentrates on deejayed soul music before co-producer and emcee-dancer Danny Esteras unleashes dozens of dancers on the colorful stage.

The club then becomes an erotic swirl of lean bodies moving to music that varies from contemporary hip-hop to ‘40s-style jazz--a virtual reality orgy, with the gyrating occurring both on and off stage.

At a recent “Move to Groove,” actors-cum-dancers Christina Applegate and Alexis Arquette were wowing the crowd with their separate takes on modern dance--classy and raunchy, respectively. Their presence, however, might explain the inordinate number of famous young Hollywood actors and models who also happened to be moved to groove on that particular evening.

* “Move to Groove Ball,” once a month on varying Wednesdays at the House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 21 and over. Cover $15 at door, $10 pre-purchase at box office. Brent Bolthouse Productions info line: (213) 848-9300; House of Blues box office: (213) 650-0476.