The starting point for ballet is perfection in outer form, whereas the inner quality called "bearing" is the root of all movement and expression in classical Chinese dance. (Shen Yun Performing Arts) One of my earliest memories of classical dance was watching Mikhail Baryshnikov in White Nights brazenly win a bet with 11 consecutive pirouettes. The raw beauty and heroism of the moment stayed with me. But nothing compared to what I witnessed in New York for my first glimpse of classical Chinese dance.