China is more than what we see today, said Aaron Huynh, a classical Chinese dancer who went from barely understanding the culture to becoming a member of the world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts. On Sept. 4, he took to the stage on his own at the NTD International Classical Chinese Dance Competition, and secured a place in the finals. “I started from scratch,” said Huynh, who grew up in Australia and spoke English at home. “I didn’t have influence or exposure to Chinese culture.” “It’s been a process of learning, to learn my own culture is worth learning even though I didn’t get to start off with it,” he said. “It was worth it.” Classical Chinese dance is famously expressive, as a core principle of the art is having the inner feelings drive the body into motion. “In dance, you can’t just rely on your body, especially classical Chinese dance,” …