Hayes has produced choreography for the concert stage, musicals, plays, and choirs and his choreographic record features successful collaborations with poets, musicians, and visual artists. Additionally, Hayes is regularly invited to contribute as a director, choreographer, dramaturg, and creative consultant for a wide variety of artistic productions.

Hayes’ research interests include identity politics in performance, formal issues in choreography, site-specific choreography, and dramaturgy for dance. Additionally, his interests in African Diasporic Dance traditions led to travel, ethnographic research, and intensive study of the West African influences on the folk dances of Latin America, specifically Cumbia, Colombian Salsa and Mapalé (Colombia), Tango (Argentina and Uruguay), and Merengue and Bachata (Dominican Republic).