Hailing from South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Hayden Rivas is a versatile artist driven by curiosity and unyielding determination. As a teenager, he had the opportunity to work with director Kenny Ortega as a chorus performer in Disney's Descendants 3, and with the choreographic team of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist as both a chorus performer and skeleton crew member for select episodes — experiences that ignited 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 by luminaries such as Kyle Abraham and Dawn Stoppiello, and performed choreographies by Jiří Kylián, Tiffany Bong, Dwight Rhoden, Doug Varone, and Jason Rodgers, among others. He served as Associate Choreographer for USC's production of Sondheim on Sondheim, directed by Richard Israel, and deepened his vocal training under Dr. Melissa Treinkman.

Hayden's cinematic work was prominently featured at USC events, and his film "the construct of one" earned numerous honors in North America at Dance Camera West, PNB Film Festival, Fuselage Film Festival, and F.O.R.M. As a multidisciplinary artist, he choreographed and performed as a principal in "Body of Mine VR," which received a special jury award at SXSW 2023 and was presented at Venice Immersive at La Biennale Di Venezia.

On stage and screen, Hayden's credits span a wide range of companies and venues. He was part of Zeitgeist Dance Theatre's inaugural year under the direction of Francisco Gella and Yusha-Marie Sorzano, and has performed with Blue13 Dance Company. He originated and performed "5 Minute Dance: You Drivin'" at the Joyce Theatre in New York City with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, and was part of the skeleton crew and development for Achinta S. McDaniel's piece on So You Think You Can Dance. Beyond the US and Canada, he performed at the Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas. Select theatre credits include: Ensemble (u/s King Agnarr) in North Shore Music Theatre's Frozen; the 2024 Performance Ensemble at Jacob's Pillow Musical Theatre, workshopping productions directed and choreographed by Karla Puno Garcia, Luis Salgado, and Sekou McMiller; Ensemble in Beetlejuice aboard the Norwegian Viva; and Swing/Dance Captain in Center Theatre Group's Here Lies Love.

As a teacher, Hayden has served as a teaching artist for Francisco Gella Dance Works and has led masterclasses at the University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine University, and the Orange County School of the Arts.

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 the goal of working exclusively within the entertainment industry to advance equity and inclusion. He has also served as an Associate Manager at PILOT MGMT under the guidance of Garen Scribner.

Rooted in rigorous training and a commitment to artists' rights, Hayden is equally at home in the studio, on stage, and in the work of building a more equitable industry