Channing Tatum Strips For The Ladies | Video

Usmagazine has obtained a video of "Dear John" star,  Channing Tatum, 29, dancing in a Chippendales-style revue called Male Encounter in 1999.

Then 18, the star -- who performed under the alias "Chan Crawford" -- approached the troupe's owner London Steele at a now-defunct Florida nightclub about a job.

"He was shy at first, but he really knew how to work the stage," Steele tells Us, adding that Tatum lip-synched in the act and earned $50 a night (plus tips) during his year-long stint.

Nevertheless, the actor --- who wed his Step Up costar Jenna Dewan on last July 11 -- was so impressive he caught the eye of a female casting agent who put him in Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" music video.~source