He was the second director of the Ghana National Ensemble, succeeding Professor Albert Mawere Opoku.
[2] A year after earning his master's degree, he took over as the Artistic Director/Choreographer of the Ghana Dance Ensemble.
[5] He returned to the School of Performing Arts (SPA) at the University of Ghana, becoming the head of the Department of Dance Studies.
[2] In 2000, Yartey was awarded the Grand Medal (Civil Division) in 2000 for his contribution to the development of dance in the country.
[7] Between 1999 and 2008, he choreographed the opening and closing ceremonies of international football tournaments that Ghana hosted.