'DWTS' Pro Hayley Erbert Made an Emotional Return to the Dance Floor With Derek Hough

Judge Bruno Tonioli was wiping his eyes as Hayley Erbert received a standing ovation.

With a theme like "Dedication Night," we knew week 4 of Dancing With the Stars was sure to be a tearjerker, and yet, we still weren't prepared for the truly emotional performances. But the one that got us (and viewers) the most choked up wasn't even on the original lineup.

Pro dancer Hayley Erbert Hough returned to the dance floor last night alongside husband and DWTS judge Derek Hough for the first time after an emergency craniectomy back in December 2023, with the couple dancing to Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things."

Hayley was rushed to the hospital early last December when, while on their Symphony of Dance tour in Washington D.C., she developed a cranial hematoma — when blood collects in the skull — from a burst blood vessel. Although it was alleviated through surgery, the doctors were left wondering whether she would ever walk again‚ let alone dance. In an exclusive with People, she said as a "stubborn" person she refused to let that stop her, sharing that she "pushed herself to the limit" so that she could do both. "I was just so impressed by her strength," Derek told the publication. "She's my beautiful miracle."

And it's clear after that deeply moving performance, he isn't the only one that feels that way. After the performance, the couple shared a kiss, with Derek them moving away to let Hayley have her own moment to shine. She received a standing ovation, even from the judges, with Bruno Tonioli wiping tears from his eyes. The comments from the show's other pro dancers on social media showed they were clearly just as emotional.

"No words. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Our miracle girl 🤍🤍," Jenna Johnson wrote under an Instagram post of the two shared by the official Dancing With the Stars account. "Breathtaking 🥹❤️," Rylee Arnold said. "🥹🥹🥹," commented Pasha Pashkov. Emma Slater said, "This is everything."

In another People exclusive, the couple opened up about what returning to the dance floor together meant for them. "When they played the [video package], that's when I started losing it because I actually haven't seen a lot of the footage in quite some time because I've just been focusing on progressing every single day," Hayley said.

Derek chimed in that being in that moment almost a year out is "unbelievable ... It's just hard to put it into words," he said. And lucky for the husband and wife dancing team and DWTS viewers, it's just the beginning. "Tonight was just sort of the beginning of telling the full story," Derek added, "and we're so excited to share the rest of it."

Annie O’Sullivan (she/her) covers holiday, gift guide, travel, and lifestyle content at Good Housekeeping. She has a degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and previously reported for Runner’s World, NBC New York/NY 4 and Woman’s Day. Annie also has experience writing entertainment news and celebrity-focused content.

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