I'm not the expert on this subject but I've picked up a bit here and there. It is not a kind of folk/social dance. The malaya lef dance is a kind of tableaux created by Mahmoud Reda of, essentially, Alexandrian women being pretty cheeky and flirty when they are out about town, in the market and such.
The malaya itself is 'real' and it's a type of modesty garment/cover up that women wear when going out in public. Typically a black, dense, plain piece of fabric that drapes over the body concealing it. Though the stage version usually has some sparklie, spanglies edging it.
The costume is slip on heels, a very ruffly, tight dress usually showing some leg, little pom pom scarf worn on the head but some hair still showing. The dancer often chews gum vigorously, dances simply, as you would in a kind of social dance setting rather than staged. The malaya is basically used to conceal and reveal in a fun, upbeat, casual, saucy kind of a way. The dancer will arrange it and rearrange it to show off her stuff.
One of our forum members Outi performs this in Cairo, maybe she will come along and offer more illumination :0
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