A Field Guide To Jenna Dewan Tatum

Last week saw the release of Allure's annual "Look Better Naked" issue, which, not coincidentally, resulted in the release of some stunning nude photos of Jenna Dewan Tatum--as well as an increased interest in getting to know Jenna a little (or maybe a lot) better.

Jenna Dewan Tatum (also known as Mrs. Channing Tatum to those who define women by their marriages) was born December 3, 1980, in Hartford, CT (though at a young age she relocated to Grapevine, TX, the place she considers her hometown). After a high school career filled cheerleading and coronations (she was crowned prom queen her senior year), Jenna matriculated to USC, where she ended up joining the Gamma California Chapter of sorority Pi Beta Phi.

Between the cheerleading, prom queening, and sorority sisterhood, one might be tempted to write Jenna off as a pretty but boring good girl: but her post-college career gave her a chance to unleash a totally different side of herself. In the early 2000s, Jenna began working as a background dancer, working with singers like Janet Jackson, 'N Sync, Sean Combs, Toni Braxton, Celine Dion, Pink, Missy Elliott, Ricky Martin, and Billy Crawford. In a big break, she ended up going on tour with Janet Jackson--and that tour offered her some, ahem, formative erotic experiences. As she told Allure, it was Janet herself who took her to her first (and second, and third) strip club. "I danced with Janet Jackson, and we toured around the world. I don't know what it was, but she just really liked going to strip clubs." Something tells us that Jenna didn't mind those strip clubs that much herself, either. (Hey, she is married to Channing "Magic Mike" Tatum, after all.)

It was Jenna's dancing career that ultimately led her into the world of acting. After a stint as a background dancer in "The Hot Chick," she made her acting debut in the Fox sitcom "Quintuplets;" two years later, she was to able to combine her passions for acting and dance into one terrific project as the lead in "Step Up" (the first one, not "2 the Streets" or "3D" or "4Score and 7 Years"). From there, she went on to star in numerous high profile projects, from "The Playboy Club" to "American Horror Story" to her current gig as one of the leads in "The Witches of East End;" she also heads up her own production company, 33 and Out Productions.

Her starring role "Step Up" may have brought her fame, fortune, and a stable acting career; but more important than any of that is the fact that "Step Up" set Jenna Dewan on the path to becoming Jenna Dewan Tatum. Yes, it was "Step Up" that introduced Jenna and Channing. The two started dating when the film wrapped in 2005, and within a scant few years, they'd gone from dating to engaged to married with children (their daughter, Everly Elizabeth Maiselle, was born just last May).

Of course, there's more to Jenna's life than just dancing, acting, marriage, and babies (full as that life sounds). A long time vegetarian (and current vegan), Jenna's an ardent animal rights activist who's volunteered her time, jewelry designing talents, and body painted physique to the efforts of PETA. (Dancing, acting, and jewelry design? Is there anything this woman can't do?)

With all this knowledge, we've got a newfound appreciation for Ms. Dewan Tatum--and a newfound urge to see her really, truly naked. So far, her nudity hasn't extended beyond the body painted PETA campaign and these latest photos for Allure--but we've still got some hope that she'll show skin on screen some day. What has us so confident about future nude scenes for Jenna? Well, in addition to the Allure shoot (which shows she comfortable showing off most of her body), there are also a few of her comments to Allure, which suggest, shall we say, a certain cavalier attitude towards nudity. To wit:

I'm (nude) on the "a lot" side of the scale.... You sort of lose all modesty as a dancer. I also think it's just the way I came out. I've always been free-spirited, and it was hard to keep clothes on me as a kid.

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but those sound like the words of a woman whose itching to get cast in a clothes free role or two (maybe the next season of "Game of Thrones" has an opening for her? Or "Magic Mike 2"?). But hey, even if her onscreen ambitions/our hopes and dreams never come to pass, we'll still have this lovely photo from Allure. And that--along with those comments about her cavalier attitude towards nudity--is more than enough to enshrine her as a Crush Object forever. (Especially when combined with these photos, too.)

· Jenna's Official Website (jennadewanunwrapped.com)
· Jenna on Twitter (twitter.com)