Bio
Demetrius Shields (he/him) is a Detroit-born dancer, arts administrator, choreographer, and writer with a career spanning performance, arts education, community engagement, and nonprofit leadership.
From an early age, Demetrius demonstrated artistic promise—by age seven, he had performed for then-President Bill Clinton. He trained extensively at The Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts and Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy before earning a B.F.A. in Dance Education from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he graduated summa cum laude and was awarded The Promising Artist Scholarship. He later earned an M.S. in Arts Administration from Drexel University. His formal education was supplemented by training at The Ailey School, American Ballet Theater, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and The Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensives, all of which awarded him full tuition scholarships.
As a performer, Demetrius has worked with world-renowned choreographers, including Donald Byrd, Liz Lerman, Christopher Huggins, Louis Johnson, Ray Mercer, Cornelius Carter, Anthony Burrell, Kim Bears-Bailey, and William Forsythe. His performance career has taken him to over 50 countries worldwide, including a year-long contract with Princess Cruises, where he mastered thirteen productions. He performed for four seasons in the ensemble of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the world-famous Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Center, NYC, and appeared as a Cagelle in Theatre By The Sea’s production of La Cage Aux Folles.
Beyond performance, Demetrius has built a distinguished career in arts administration and nonprofit leadership. He currently serves as the Manager of Individual Giving at Detroit Opera, where he supports fundraising efforts to advance the company’s artistic and educational programming. Previously, he was the Senior Community Programs Coordinator at the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he developed arts outreach initiatives, cross-campus partnerships, and community-engaged programs to expand access to the performing arts.
Demetrius is deeply committed to arts advocacy and youth empowerment. He serves as the Board Secretary for Living Arts and is the DEIA Committee Chair for MindLeaps Global, an international nonprofit using dance and technology to create educational pathways for vulnerable youth. He also serves on the USA Board of In Place of War, a global organization supporting creative communities in conflict zones as a tool for positive social change. He is the lead mentor for JumpStart Theatre Michigan, an initiative supporting middle school theatre programs in under-resourced schools.
His work has been presented at the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and The National High School Dance Festival. He has taught and choreographed for various institutions, including the Detroit School of Arts, Cass Technical High School Dance Workshop, and Renaissance High School Dance Company.
Demetrius’ contributions to the arts and community engagement have been widely recognized. He is an inaugural Change Collective Fellow, a MACC Rising Leader, and a 2024 ARC Fund recipient from CultureSource. He was also awarded the 2024 North Campus Deans’ MLK Spirit Award for Community Building and Impact.
A passionate advocate for communities of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, Demetrius remains dedicated to using the power of the arts to uplift communities, drive social change, and expand access to transformative artistic experiences.