Hayley Erbert Hough is back where she belongs – on the main stage.
Five months after being hospitalized for a cranial hematoma that required an emergency craniectomy, Hayley, 29, wrapped up her Symphony of Dance tour with her husband Derek Hough in San Diego, California on May 19.
In an Instagram post four days later, the dancer highlighted the highlights of her return to the stage and wrote a tribute to “one of the most fulfilling experiences” of her life.
“The Symphony of Dance tour just ended a few days ago and I still can’t find the words to express my emotions,” Hayley wrote. “When we launched it in September, I was on cloud nine; to travel and perform with my new husband, doing the most challenging show I’ve ever done in my life.”
She continued, “Then December 6 came and everything stopped.”
Despite her “uncertainty” about continuing the tour just months after a health scare, she declared: “I DID IT!”
Hayley Erbert returns to the red carpet 4 months after craniectomy with Derek Hough
Hayley Erbert performs on the Symphony of Dance Tour on May 10, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Corine Solberg/Getty
“This tour has rekindled many parts of me that have been blacked out for so long. So I can’t thank everyone enough who has supported us on this wild journey. I’m so grateful to still be here, with you all, doing what I love,” Hayley concluded. “Thank you, thank you, thank you 🫶.”
On December 7, 2024, Derek, 35, revealed on Instagram that Hayley had been rushed to hospital after experiencing symptoms of a cranial hematoma — when blood collects in the skull — while on tour. A week later, he posted another update saying that Hayley needed a skull implant to “replace a piece [of the skull] which was removed during a craniectomy.”
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Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough.
Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty
In an emotional Instagram video following the craniectomy, the couple, who wed in 2023, discussed Hayley’s “miraculous” recovery and thanked everyone who offered words of support during her recovery.
“Thank you all so much for all your messages, your love, your energy, your light, your prayers. Thank you for everything because it means a lot to me and to us as a family. And honestly, I believe that’s what helped me get through this a little faster and that’s what helped me heal,” Hayley said through tears.
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert return to dance studio 3 months after her craniectomy: ‘Starting to paint again’
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Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert perform on the Symphony of Dance Tour on May 10, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Corine Solberg/Getty
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In April, the couple announced that the Symphony of Dance tour would resume in Melbourne, Florida, with Hayley rejoining the tour just four months after her surgery. According to Derek, they had “extensive conversations and tests and results from different doctors” to allow Hayley to perform.
“I’m so excited to be back and dancing again after something so traumatic happened to me,” Hayley told PEOPLE at the time.
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Source: HIS Education