1995 is hardly "golden era" so won't accept the evidence of Nadia Hamdi's splits as indicative of splits as legitimate BD vocabulary, but find me a video of Naima Akef indulging in those tactics, and I'll rethink my stance, albeit reluctantly, and at least place splits in the "legitimate but vulgar vocabulary" category.
Here's the link to the article that went with the video again, in case it got lost in the text of my previous post.
http://www.gildedserpent.com/art43/gamilaniledance3candl.htm
The article explains that the clip was filmed at the end of Nadia's career, and in terms of her formal training, Nadia was two degrees of separation from the originators of dancing with a shamadan via her grandmother. The article calls Nadia "the last of the Mohamed Ali Street dancers."
Here are the relevant parts:
"Zouba el Kloubatiyya was the first dancer to use a klob (candle lantern) balanced on her head during a zeffa, the Egyptian wedding procession. Shafia el Koptia, “The Coptic Christian”, not to be outdone, used the Shamadan (candelabra) as well. Shafia, taught Nadia Hamdi's grandmother and aunt. Nezla el Adel, (a contemporary of Shafia) is still alive today and occasionally teaches and performs. She is in her 90s. Nadia Hamdi is Egypt's recent diva of Shamadan and is the only dancer who was taught from the original line of Egyptian Shamadan dancers. Nadia was exposed to the teachings of Zouba as a child and then more formally trained by her grandmother. "
"The [shamadan dance] style is very earthy and includes great 'tricks' like the splits, stomach work while on the floor, rolling over full length on the floor and posturing -- complete with quivering buttocks, and various other individual talents."
"In using the Shamadan for cabaret, there is a great deal more freedom of style and improvisation upon the traditional. It becomes more sensual than the Mohamed Ali Street style, which is fun loving with a smattering of 'look what I can do' attitude, and the traditionally elegant theater presentation. The floor work section becomes more 'Oriental' and the tricks are seldom seen--beyond a split, stomach rolls, and raised hip twists."
There's a link in the article to a story about finding Nadia after she made the Hajj and renounced her performing past, but this article by Aunt Rocky is probably a more informative read.
http://thebestofhabibi.com/vol-15-no-2-spring-1996/nadia-hamdi/
"Speaking of those times [the era of the first shamadan dancers], Nadia says: 'It was wonderful to have had the opportunity to watch all those dancers, to observe their different styles, to learn something different from each one, every time, no matter how often I saw the same dancer. My favorite was Zouba el Klobatiyya, one of the most famous candelabrum dancers of all times. She wore a klop that, to my child’s eyes, was as tall as the sky. Oh, how it dazzled my eyes – and her costume! I still remember her charm and originality of style. In the last thirty years, different and new fads and styles have come and gone, but I still think that for the most part, the traditional dances were the most difficult, the most beautiful, the best — the "Golden Age" of raks sharki.'"
To me, that implies Nadia aspired to having her style be consistent with what she's calling the "Golden Era," but if you asked many of today's students of MED, they would consider that period she's describing somewhat pre-Golden Age. At least one argument broke out on Bhuz back in the day about whether to group Souheir Zaki with Naima Akef, Tahia Karioka, and Samia Gamal (whose styles are similar to hers) or with Nagwa Fouad, Mona Said, and Fifi Abdo (who were closer in time in terms of being performing contemporaries). And some dancers considered anything pre-Dina "Golden Age."
Personally, I feel comfortable calling Nadia Hamdi "Golden Era" even though she worked later than many of the dancers we traditionally associate with that period, but I was in the camp that wanted to pull the timeline forward to include Souheir Zaki, so I'm not a chronological purist.
I once saw a dancer (career roughly 1960-1980) flip a couple of musicians off, so perhaps I will add that particular pointing gesture to "legitimate but vulgar vocabulary" as well.
Now that I think of it, I feel like I've seen Egyptian dancers point at the audience while doing that gun style of finger snapping, but I can't place where I've seen it. Fifi? Maybe Dina when she was really young? Not that that has anything to do with flipping the band off...