Pioneers Go East Collective presents the second edition of the Out-FRONT! Festival. Centering LGBTQ and feminist voices, the festival features the work of artists exploring bold new performance modes for a lively exchange of art and culture. 

The 2024 festival features performances by Arthur Aviles and Collaborators, Joey Kipp with Pioneers Go East Collective, Christopher Unpezverde Núñez, Jason Anthony Rodriguez, Paz Tanjuaquio, Ogemdi Ude, and Annie MingHao Wang, as well as films by Fana Fraser, Omega X and Danni, and Tourmaline. The festival will also include two workshops: a teen voguing workshop with Jason Anthony Rodriguez, and a storytelling through dance workshop for older adults taught by Magda Kaczmarska. 

Annie MingHao Wang

had my mouth (World Premiere)

Thursday, January 18, at 8pm and Saturday, January 20, at 5pm

Abrons Arts Center Playhouse

Constantly shifting between renewing dualities of being and place, had my mouth is a performance derived from choreographer Annie MingHao 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. Performed by Catherine Chen, Ching-I Chang, and Annie MingHao Wang. Music by Eldar Baruch.