Q:

If you can see sharp

Started with a wink, a handshake.
(if you know what I mean)
Ideas in plain or in secret, all is within!
Secret? Well, it depends, study until.
Animals perform, machines obey, people create.
Create! The classics... do you even see?

A:

UPDATED ANSWER
Is this a reference to  

 code (specifically the C# Programming Language?) Thanks to @nikki for some return inspiration!! :D

Started with a wink, a handshake.

 This was started by Microsoft a while back. Per @nikki, a wink and a handshake could be a secret code between a fraternity/sorority/group of people, etc. (wink wink nudge nudge, know what I mean)

Ideas in plain or in secret, all is within!

 Everything can be coded by the language, whether a plain idea or a secret one. This could be either computer code or secret code.

Secret? Well, it depends, study until.

 You need to study to learn C# or other kinds of code. In order to decode secret messages, you need to study the decryption techniques.

Animals perform, machines obey, people create.

 There are animal classes in C sharp; another animal which performs could be GNU, an operating system which runs code, machines obey the code which people create.

Create! The classics... do you even see?

 See, as in the classic C per the OP.

A:

Is the answer

 code?

Started with a wink, a handshake.
(if you know what I mean)

 A wink is the code for a secret handshake

Ideas in plain or in secret, all is within!

 Plain:Coding like programming, Secret: En-coding messages?

Secret? Well, it depends, study until.

 Study and de-code the message?

Animals perform, machines obey, people create.

 Machines obey code that people write, not sure about animals...

Create! The classics... do you even see?

 C programming language?

Gained a bit of inspiration from @El-Guest

