Constantly shifting between renewing dualities of being and place, had my mouth is a performance derived from choreographer Annie Wang’s personal and physical inquiries into the human invocations of animal energies within Chinese culture, drawing specific inspiration from the lion dance and martial arts. Beyond their role as entertainment, these movement forms were historically practiced as covert training in self-defense as protection against oppressive governmental systems. had my mouth furthers this stance by referencing the diverse influences of martial arts in the U.S. to convey the timeless search for protection through self-expression.