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South County High School senior Dexter Burris has transformed a childhood interest in sewing into an award-winning artistic career and a place in Virginia Commonwealth University’s selective theatre program.

His creations include detailed costumes from the school’s production of Cinderella and “Roland,” a jester opossum fur suit with finger pads, bells and a skeletal cross-section on its tail. The piece earned Dexter the Best in School for Artistry award at ARTiFAX, a program recognizing artistic excellence, creative growth and student voice.

Dexter began hand-sewing small projects in elementary school and continued developing his skills in middle school. Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched a costume commission business that has shipped custom pieces across the United States.

“I’ve definitely learned how to talk to people professionally from that,” he said.

Those skills prepared Dexter to lead costuming for South County’s theatre department. As a student costume designer, he manages other students and works with directors and performers to turn creative ideas into finished productions.

“In theatre, half of it is just communicating,” Dexter said. “You need to communicate what to buy for costumes for shows and what to put on people. Obviously, I have a vision because I design costumes, but the director also has her own vision, and I need to respect that as well.”

Former theatre teacher Molly Rumberger helped him recognize his leadership potential when she told a class that Dexter was the person she trusted to lead costumes. He said the comment set him on the right path.

Costuming remains his central passion, but Dexter’s activities span much of the school’s arts community. He belongs to the International Thespian Society and choir, serves as president of the Dungeons & Dragons club and National Art Honor Society, and helped create a mural displayed in a school hallway.

He also works quickly. Dexter said intense concentration allows him to complete some projects at an unusually fast pace, including an intricate suit jacket in a single day.

Although much of his work happens behind the scenes, Dexter also performs. His interest in theatre began when he played a spoon-loving monk in a fifth-grade production. In middle school, portraying Donkey in Shrek The Musical Jr. cemented his enthusiasm for quirky characters.

He most recently played Sebastian in South County’s Broadway-version production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella while also handling costume and puppetry responsibilities. His work included “Buttercup,” a puppet depicting the prince’s loyal steed.

Dexter said he auditions when a character feels like the right fit. He also values the rituals and friendships shared by theatre students before performances.

“There’s a huge sense of community backstage,” he said. “You’ll always find someone to celebrate with.”

That community helped Dexter build confidence, improve his communication skills and become more comfortable with his identity.

“High school taught me how to socialize with people and how to stand on my own,” he said. “I learned how to accept myself and be an individual rather than conforming to what everybody else is doing.”

This fall, Dexter will pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre with a concentration in costuming at VCU. The program admits only a small group of students each year.

He said he is eager to experience college theatre at a professional level and meet new people. While he has valued his years at South County, he believes it is time to take another path.

For younger artists, Dexter’s advice is simple: keep trying. Sewing mistakes can require hours of work to be undone and repeated, and he said frustration nearly caused him to quit several times.

“I came very close to giving up a couple of times,” Dexter said, “so just keep going.”