Ann Law is the founder and executive director of CoPAC (Contemporary Performing Arts of Chattanooga), which oversees Barking Legs Theater. She has dedicated her life to improvisational dance and creating a supportive space for emerging and established artists while fostering audiences and strengthening the performing arts community.

Ann began creating dances at age four and has continued her work in several U.S. cities before spending the last 33 years in Chattanooga. She holds an MA in Dance Education from UNC Greensboro and a BA in Dance from Mills College. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and Kinetic Awareness practitioner. Her contributions have earned her numerous awards, including the Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award, UNC Greensboro Distinguished Alumni Award, Tennessee Association of Dance Outstanding Dance Educator Award, and a Tennessee Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship.

In Chattanooga, Ann has taught dance and movement at schools, colleges, and Barking Legs Theater, focusing on creativity and student development. In 2015, she founded Full Circle TAP (Teaching Artists Program) to train artists as educators and developed arts-integrated curricula that helped students become creative, critical thinkers. The program inspired nearly 20 teaching artists who worked in several Chattanooga schools.

Through CoPAC, Barking Legs Theater, arts education, and artist mentoring, Ann promotes inclusive, diverse, and transformative arts experiences. She believes the arts are essential for personal growth, academic success, and building stronger communities.

Bruce has been pretty fanatical about music since his childhood in Miami. After a short-lived study of classical guitar, he graduated to the world of garage rock in junior high, circa 1970. He dipped his feet into the world of free improvisation in the mid-eighties, participating actively in NYC's downtown community from 1987 until moving to Chattanooga in 1990 to practice neurology. Under the spell of Appalachia, he became obsessed with playing fiddle tunes on the mandolin. He has become reacquainted with the guitar in the past few years, making a stab at learning rudiments of jazz guitar.

His programming of music at the Legs began in earnest in 1997, with a huge assist from Fletcher and George Bright. Since then, musical offerings have been increasingly diversified, with focus on three main areas: modern and traditional acoustic music, jazz, and the avant-garde. “I am increasingly interested in bringing more and more people from the community into being part of programming at Barking Legs.

Consider that an invitation!”