A revealing event billed as the world’s first clothing-optional cocktail dance party for cancer awareness, is set to take over North Vancouver’s Pipe Shop venue on Friday night. The organizer of The Nanga Naach, which means the naked dance in Hindi, described the risqué function as “very inclusive,” where guests may dress, or undress, as they choose. “Clothing optional? Yes. It is,” confirmed Mayank Maini, about the event described as “a cocktail party with nothing to hide.” “You can be wearing anything. You can not be wearing anything. You can be wearing something. It’s up to you,” he told CTV News. Maini says the inspiration for the fundraiser came after he learned about cancer treatments that make skin so sensitive that wearing clothes can be painful. In particular, he recalled the words of one patient, who found even bedsheets excruciating. “She said something like, ‘I might not die of cancer, I might die of shame,’” he said. Proceeds from Friday’s event will go to the Save Your Skin Foundation and the Vancouver Friends for Life Society. Finding a location for the party was on of the biggest hurdles, and not because of the nudity, but because of the complicated rules around serving alcohol. Tickets for Friday’s adult-only event are on sale now.
