In Ann Arbor’s vibrant ecosystem of experimental and community-based art, Megan Rose Sims—known in performance spaces as Me/Again—has carved out a practice that blends movement, healing and human connection. A self-described “Joy-ologist,” Sims draws from decades of experience in dance, psychology and embodied practices to create participatory performances that invite audiences not just to watch, but to feel, move and reconnect.
Returning to the self
At the heart of her work is a simple but deeply personal idea: return.
“Me/Again means ‘Return to Self’. My truest, most essential nature,” Sims said. “When I dance, or engage in anything from my creative, authentic self, I am returning to wholeness, to the heart of myself. When I am plugged into my body, I am plugged into my Soul, which is connected to the web of life and the divine source of creation.”
Finding the name
The name itself emerged organically, almost playfully, before taking on a deeper meaning.
“Me/Again came about gradually,” Sims said. “When I call people on the phone and say, ‘It’s Megan (pronounced as rhymes with vegan), they’d think I was saying, ‘it’s me again.’ That’s how it entered my consciousness, initially. “Interplay—with its radically inclusive ‘yes, and’ approach—really helped me embody this moniker.”
From audience to participant
Sims’ performances dissolve the traditional boundary between artist and audience. Participation is not an add-on—it’s the core of the experience.
“Connection is cultivated when we all participate as a group, and unity anywhere contributes to unity everywhere,” Sims said. “Having audience members participate in the performance also creates a more deeply healing experience. They embody the music, the poetry and the message. Not only do the audience members receive the experience the first time, but they also take that experience with them out the door.”
The power of play and interplay
This participatory philosophy is deeply informed by practices like Interplay, which emphasize improvisation, embodiment and rediscovering play as a regular practice.
“Interplay is a double yes because it’s both physical and improvisational,” Sims said. “Relearning how to play after having it repressed in our adult society is like reclaiming our breath: it brings life, vitality, joy, and so much hidden information and wisdom from within our body. Our bodies can be giving us messages about what is true for us all day, every day.”
Where dance meets psychology
Sims’ academic background also shapes her approach. With a master’s degree in counseling and psychology, she sees movement as a necessary complement to traditional talk-based methods.
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“Psychology inadvertently taught me that talk therapy can help expand self-awareness, but has its/some limitations.” Sims said. “At a certain point, you’re gonna have to move the truth of the body. We move to find out what is inside of us, and then shake, rattle and roll out complex traumas, beliefs and old stories.”
Creating safe, expressive spaces
Creating a space where people feel safe to move, express and explore is central to her work—something she approaches with both intuition and intention.
“I have a spidey sense of mood, boundaries, and needs,” Sims said. “In fact, Spiderwoman is my secret superhero identity because of how I weave movements, ideas, people, and moments. The Me/Again Medicine allows me to weave together movement, the moment, the people in the room, and what they need to relax, connect, and open to their intrinsic joy.”
Shaped by Ann Arbor’s arts scene
That sense of weaving—of connecting people, ideas, and energy—has been shaped in part by Ann Arbor itself. From avant-garde spaces to grassroots gatherings, the local arts scene has offered both inspiration and community.
“The Yellow Barn (now Theatre Nova) was SO Ann Arbor avant-garde,” Sims said. “It featured community-oriented events like the ‘Bizarre Dance,’ which was a sort of strange fashion show of people wearing weird stuff doing strange things, movement classes, women’s groups, and more. The Yellow Barn showed me I could be a part of a movement, and that my time, energy, and vision were valuable.”
Transformation and rediscovery
Themes of transformation and rediscovery run through all of Sims’ work, echoing the meaning behind her performance name.
“Personal transformation is a constant theme in my life and work,” Sims said. “Me/Again refers to a return to Self, the essential soul within. There are endless layers to peel away: all the masks we wear to conform to social norms. Paradoxically, the more authentic a person becomes, the more unified with the collective they are.”
Inside a “Playshop”
Her “playshops” and performances are intentionally fluid, blending structure with improvisation and adapting to the needs of each group.
“I walk into every medicine show, playshop, or class with a treasure trove of tools, toys, and a planned structure, but an intention and ability to go with the flow,” Sims said. “The three main ingredients are movement, play, and performance, with a dash of energy medicine, guided meditation, or whatever else feels right for that particular group in that particular moment.”
Beyond the performance space
Ultimately, Sims sees performance not as something separate from daily life, but as a pathway back into it—more fully, more consciously, and more connected.
“The embodied play of Me/Again medicine gives folks a taste of what it feels like to see the world from my perspective,” Sims said. “I don’t expect anyone to take me at my word. I just want them to be intrigued enough to try these ideas on for size, because having an experience of magic—transforming consciousness at will—creates the opportunity for faith in the Yes of Life.”
Faith in themselves and their bodies.
A practice across generations
Beyond performance, Sims’ work spans a wide range of communities and age groups, from children to elders, across Ann Arbor and beyond.
“One great joy of my life is the amazing variety of my work week,” Sims said. “My favorite venue for teaching is the Ann Arbor YMCA. I teach 5 classes a week there, for a wide range of people, from kids to adults to elders. At Turner Senior Resource Center, I teach a seated dance class called Movement Is Medicine.”
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, her ambitions are expansive—rooted in connection, but reaching far beyond any single space or audience.
“Integrative Movement Magic is the kids’ program that I want to spread into every school in the world,” Sims said.
“It will give them the connection they need so desperately on multiple levels. It has the same threads as all of my work: dance, play and energy medicine, so that kids grow up knowing how to find joy in movement, feel free to express themselves authentically, and be able to soothe and regulate their nervous system on a daily basis.”
She’s also offering a first-ever collaboration with her Australian InterPlay cohort, Kate Reid, called “Colors of the Soul”, a creative wellness weekend at Earthwell Retreat Center this Summer Solstice.
The Me/Again Medicine Show will also be included in this year’s Springtide Revival, an aerial silks and music festival in Ypsilanti.
In July, Me/Again will be a guest on a podcast called “Hyp Talk” with Katherine Hinchey.
This September, Megan begins training in a group body rhythm practice from Brazil called ‘Musica do Circulo’ to bring even more musicality and joy to her medicine bag.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
