Hailing from South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Hayden Rivas is a versatile artist motivated by his curiosity and unyielding determination. As a teenager, Hayden received the opportunity to work with director Kenny Ortega as a chorus performer in Disney’s Descendants 3 and the choreographic team of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist as both a chorus performer and a part of the skeleton crew for select episodes. Hayden’s professional experiences sparked a desire to further his dance education in a collegiate setting.    

While pursuing a BFA in Dance at the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, Hayden was mentored under luminaries such as Kyle Abraham, Dawn Stoppiello, and performed choreographies by Jiří Kylián, Tiffany Bong, Dwight Rhoden, Doug Varone, and Jason Rodgers to name a few. Hayden served as Associate Choreographer for USC’s production of Sondheim on Sondheim, directed by Richard Israel. He also had the opportunity to dive deep into his vocal training with Dr. Melissa Treinkman among others.

Hayden's cinematic projects were prominently featured at USC events and his prized film, “the construct of one,” earned numerous North American honors at festivals such as Dance Camera West, PNB Film Festival, Fuselage Film Festival, and F.O.R.M. As a multidisciplinary artist, Hayden choreographed and served as a principal in “Body of Mine VR,” which won a special jury award at SXSW 2023 and was featured at Venice Immersive at La Biennale Di Venezia.

He was a part of Zeitgeist Dance Theatre’s inaugural year, under the direction of Francisco Gella and Yusha-Marie Sorzano. He has danced with Blue13 Dance Company and was a part of the skeleton crew and development for Achinta S. McDaniel’s piece on So You Think You Can Dance. Outside of the US and Canada, Hayden performed at the Hero World Challenge tournament hosted in Albany, Bahamas. He was grateful to originate and be given the opportunity to perform “5 Minute Dance: You Drivin’” at the Joyce Theatre in New York City with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham. Most recently, he was seen in the Ensemble (u/s King Agnarr) in North Shore Music Theatre’s production of Frozen and was a part of Jacob Pillow’s Musical Theatre’s 2024 Performance Ensemble where he workshopped musicals directed and choreographed by Karla Puno Garcia, Luis Salgado, and Sekou McMiller.

With a vision to advocate for artists, Hayden simultaneously pursued a Master of Studies in Law (MSL) with a Media and Entertainment Law Certificate at USC’s Gould School of Law. With this, he hopes to work exclusively with artists within the entertainment industry and continue to make strides toward equity and inclusion. He serves as an Associate Manager at PILOT MGMT under the guidance of Garen Scribner.

Hayden’s foundational training coupled with a dedication to artists' causes, propel him toward an electrifying horizon. Amidst the different facets of the dance industry, Hayden unites his varied interests by always leading with a commitment to artistic exploration.