Hayden Stark grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He began dancing at three years old, toured with Minnesota Ballet at ten, and, at fifteen, left home to attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduating in 2012, Stark joined Houston Ballet II, was hired into the Houston Ballet Company in 2013 and quickly elevated to Soloist. He has enjoyed performing the lead role of Ariel in David Bintley’s The Tempest, Bluebird in Ben Stevenson’s The Sleeping Beauty, and Fire God in Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère. After retiring from Houston Ballet in 2021, Stark became the Professional Training Division Instructor with Texas Ballet Theater before rejoining Houston Ballet as a member of the artistic staff in 2024.