Boogie children’s chance to dance

Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, Boogie learned to do the hustle.

The nightclub promoter/dancer got wind that ‘N Sync was blowing through town and would have one night off. The only problem was, the band’s night off was on a Sunday and clubs were closed.

“I got on the phone, dialed up 200 women, and about eight guys, and opened a club for a night,” Boogie says. “I took care of them, and in turn, they invited me to their show.”

Boogie ended up linking up with the band’s back-up dancers and two months later, he moved to Los Angeles, where they introduced him to dancer/choreographer Wade Robson.

“I was doing very well in Ohio, but I’d come to a crossroads,” he says. “I could stay and be comfortable or move to L.A. and fulfill my dreams.”

Now, the dreams are taking shape. Robson invited the young emcee to co-host his MTV dance show, “The Wade Robson Project.” And during the show’s hiatus, Boogie’s going back to his roots, setting the scene on fire with his new Saturday night club, Funkn Groovn, a dance spectacle at the Ivar nightclub.

One part “West Side Story” and two parts mega-funk, Funkn Groovn has given Hollywood nightlife a bold new shot of energy.

Funkn Groovn kicked off in November with a choreographed dance performance that took the crowd by surprise. Inviting top choreographers and auditioning first-rate dancers, Boogie directed a show where dancers staged a “mock” fight and security was part of the act. As the crowd moved away from the spectacle, DJ Adam 12 pumped up the volume on Joe Budden’s “Pump It Up,” and the would-be fighters started busting their moves. The crowd went nuts and a phenom was born.

Such dance lovers as Missy Elliott, J.C. Chasez, Taye Diggs and Chris Judd have hit the floor at Funkn Groovn. For Boogie, Funkn Groovn gives him a chance to tap into L.A.’s burgeoning dance community.

“I found out that everyone in L.A. is a dancer,” says Boogie, 23, who was born Bobby Bowman and earned his nickname in his teens while strutting his stuff at local clubs. “We’ve really tapped into something special.”

The performances differ week to week and each is of a professional caliber. Dancers scale down from second-story balconies, shimmy their way down stairs and are usually costumed to the hilt. Upcoming performances include shows by Dave Scott, who choreographs for R&B;/hip-hop group B2K, and Jason Wright, who teaches dance at the Millennium Dance Complex in NoHo. The Ivar club, with its postmodern look and well-designed dance area, offers a perfect stage.

“Boogie brings a dance authenticity to the night,” says Rick Calamaro, an owner of Ivar. “He’s not just another promoter, smoking a cigar in a corner. He interacts with everyone and his life and his passion is dance.”

And the club is putting everything behind the night. Promoter BoJesse Christopher is bringing in special events, and they’ve also hired a crew of Orange County promoters to also get the word out down south. And DJ Adam 12 keeps the dance floor hot and heavy with loads of hip-hop.

“The only other club doing something like this is the Key Club’s Choreographer’s Ball,” dancer Judd says. “Funkn Groovn’ gives dancers a great opportunity to organize chaos. And it’s a perfect outlet for young dancers to get noticed.”

On a recent Saturday, the crowd was the main event. It’s rare in L.A. to get a club crowd not dominated by one culture or class but at Funkn Groovn, you have every conceivable ethnic group in the house -- all united in the desire to dance.

“When you went out on a Saturday night in Ohio, from the moment you walked in the club, you were dancing,” Boogie says. “You’d be sweating all night and you’d leave the club soaking wet. That’s what I’m trying to bring to L.A. I want to see steam coming out the door.”

*

Funkn Groovn

Where: Ivar, 6356 Hollywood Blvd., (entrance on Ivar), Hollywood

When: Saturdays, 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m.

Price: $20; 21 and older

Info: (323) 465-4827