Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert Return to Dance on Same Stage Where She Almost Died: 'Life Is Fragile'

Mar. 15, 2025

Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert at ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Photo:Disney/Eric McCandless

Disney/Eric McCandless

Hayley Erbertis feeling stronger than ever one year aftershe underwent emergency brain surgery, and she marked the anniversary with a special performance with her husbandDerek Hough.On Thursday, Dec. 5, the couple returned to the same stage where their lives had changed completely last year, as Erbert had been rushed to the hospital following their show, diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and underwent an emergency craniectomy, as Hough revealed in an Instagrampostat the time.“It’s been exactly one year since Hayley almost lost her life,” Hough, 39, wrote on Instagram alongside a video of himself and his wife onstage yesterday. “We returned to the very same stage, the same room where we once felt so much fear and uncertainty. A place where I stood frozen, terrified, praying for a miracle.“In the video, he said that performing again on the same stage where tragedy had struck allowed them to “change the story…to something beautiful,” before he invited Dr. Mai — who he said “saved Hayley’s life” — onstage with them, too.In the post’s caption, Hough wrote, “We changed the story of that room. We transformed it, from fear to beauty, from uncertainty to faith, and from despair to triumph.“He credited his wife — who hemarriedjust four months before her emergency surgery — for her “resilience, strength courage and pure elegance in how she has moved through this experience” as he wrote, “I am in awe everyday.““One year later, standing on that same stage, we know this: life is fragile, love is everything, and we are stronger than ever,” he concluded his post.Derek Hough and his wife Hayley Erbert Hough perform during The Dance for the Holidays Tour at Hard Rock Live on Dec. 1, 2024.Larry Marano/ShutterstockThough the performance was special as it honored the anniversary of Erbert’s near-death experience, it’s not the first time the couple has danced together since her recovery.In April,she returned to the stage with her husbandas he kicked off his Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Florida, and in October,they returned to theDancing with the Starsballroom togetherfor the first time.After the performance, Erbert, 30, told PEOPLE, “It was extremely special to be out here.““This fall was always the most welcoming energy and it was beautiful to be here, to be able to share it with him. And I’m just grateful to be here.”Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough perform at ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Disney/Eric McCandlessNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Hough was emotional, too, as he admitted to PEOPLE that in the depths of his wife’s recovery, “It was not even a thought like, ‘Oh, we’re going to dance again,’ honestly.““And then to be here, it’s unbelievable. It’s just hard to put it into words,” he said.“Tonight was just sort of the beginning of telling the full story,” he continued. “We shared a little bit more video and photos of what had happened to show us something to the extent of the severity of it. But this is the beginning and there’s so much more to tell this story and we’re so excited to share the rest of it.”

Hayley Erbertis feeling stronger than ever one year aftershe underwent emergency brain surgery, and she marked the anniversary with a special performance with her husbandDerek Hough.

On Thursday, Dec. 5, the couple returned to the same stage where their lives had changed completely last year, as Erbert had been rushed to the hospital following their show, diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and underwent an emergency craniectomy, as Hough revealed in an Instagrampostat the time.

“It’s been exactly one year since Hayley almost lost her life,” Hough, 39, wrote on Instagram alongside a video of himself and his wife onstage yesterday. “We returned to the very same stage, the same room where we once felt so much fear and uncertainty. A place where I stood frozen, terrified, praying for a miracle.”

In the video, he said that performing again on the same stage where tragedy had struck allowed them to “change the story…to something beautiful,” before he invited Dr. Mai — who he said “saved Hayley’s life” — onstage with them, too.

In the post’s caption, Hough wrote, “We changed the story of that room. We transformed it, from fear to beauty, from uncertainty to faith, and from despair to triumph.”

He credited his wife — who hemarriedjust four months before her emergency surgery — for her “resilience, strength courage and pure elegance in how she has moved through this experience” as he wrote, “I am in awe everyday.”

“One year later, standing on that same stage, we know this: life is fragile, love is everything, and we are stronger than ever,” he concluded his post.

Derek Hough and his wife Hayley Erbert Hough perform during The Dance for the Holidays Tour at Hard Rock Live on Dec. 1, 2024.Larry Marano/Shutterstock

Larry Marano/Shutterstock

Though the performance was special as it honored the anniversary of Erbert’s near-death experience, it’s not the first time the couple has danced together since her recovery.

In April,she returned to the stage with her husbandas he kicked off his Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Florida, and in October,they returned to theDancing with the Starsballroom togetherfor the first time.

After the performance, Erbert, 30, told PEOPLE, “It was extremely special to be out here.”

“This fall was always the most welcoming energy and it was beautiful to be here, to be able to share it with him. And I’m just grateful to be here.”

Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough perform at ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Disney/Eric McCandless

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Hough was emotional, too, as he admitted to PEOPLE that in the depths of his wife’s recovery, “It was not even a thought like, ‘Oh, we’re going to dance again,’ honestly.”

“And then to be here, it’s unbelievable. It’s just hard to put it into words,” he said.

“Tonight was just sort of the beginning of telling the full story,” he continued. “We shared a little bit more video and photos of what had happened to show us something to the extent of the severity of it. But this is the beginning and there’s so much more to tell this story and we’re so excited to share the rest of it.”

source: people.com