Hayley Erbert recently wrapped on her husband Derek Hough's Symphony of Dance tour after recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
Derek Hough's Symphony of Dance tour has come to an end, and his wife, Hayley Erbert, is reflecting on her journey dancing alongside her husband.
The tour officially wrapped in San Diego, California, on May 19, five months after Erbert was hospitalized for a cranial hematoma and required an emergency craniectomy. The 29-year-old made her triumphant return to the stage to complete her stretch on the Symphony of Dance tour in April, where she received a standing ovation from the audience.
On Thursday, Erbert shared several photos from the tour on Instagram, showcasing the highlights of her time on stage and writing a tribute to what she described as "one of the most fulfilling experiences" in her life.
"The Symphony of Dance tour has only been over for a few days and I still haven't quite found the words to express my emotions," Erbert captioned her carousel of photos. "This tour was truly one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life."
"When we kicked it off in September, I was on cloud nine; getting to travel and perform with my newlywed husband, doing the most challenging show I have ever done in my entire life," she continued. "Then December 6th rolled around, and everything came to a screeching halt."
Erbert confessed that she had felt "so much uncertainty" about returning to the tour "a few months" after her hospitalization and surgery. But, as she proudly proclaims, "I DID IT!"
"This tour reignited many parts of me that have been dim for so long. So, for that, I cannot thank everyone who came out to support us on this wild journey enough," she concluded her tribute. "I am so grateful to still be here, with you all, doing what I love. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🫶🏼"
Erbert was rushed to the hospital on Dec. 6 after she became "disoriented" during a performance in Washington, D.C. She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel, which required an emergency craniectomy. That injury ultimately led to another invasive and painful surgery, which replaced a large portion of her skull.
Hough -- who married the professional dancer in August 2023 -- paused the dance tour in the wake of his wife's struggles, and shared with ET in February that he initially wasn't sure whether Erbert would be able to return to the dance floor.
"She's doing amazing," the ballroom pro told ET at the time. "She really is. I can't say enough, I really can't, how inspiring she is."
He added, "She's doing better each day. There are still some things we need to sort out, but even now, when I look back at where we were just a couple of months ago to where she is now, it's miraculous. It really is."
"It's incredible just to see the way she handled everything with such grace and strength," Hough gushed of his wife. "That's just her nature. I was really just in awe of that. It was incredible."
As for Symphony of Dance, Hough said he was filled with "a sense of gratitude to be back on that stage."
"I really feel like the show we had and will have is so strong," he shared. "What I love is you really see the relationship of the dancers and the band. Every one of us onstage."
Hough added that several of the dancers even went the extra mile to make themselves available for the rescheduled dates.
"This wasn't planned, right? We weren't planning on going out again," he explained. "They already had certain jobs booked and certain things. But I called them and said, 'Hey, we're gonna go back out. Are you available?' And they said, 'You know, actually, I have another gig but I'm gonna find [a] sub for that and we're gonna go finish this thing.'"
Ahead of her return to the stage last month, Erbert shared a video of rehearsals on her Instagram page, gushing about the "blessing" that was being back on stage.
"What a blessing (and surprise) it is to be able to be back on stage dancing with my love after such a crazy past four months," she wrote. "My healing journey has been nothing short of extraordinary and being able to dance again is igniting my soul in all the ways; speeding up my recovery even more."
The dancer took the chance to thank her medical team who "supported me in my decision to dance again," as well as the team of specialists she had on hand to "assure that my health and safety is priority."
"I cannot wait for you all to see this show! It was so meaningful when we opened last year and now, after everything that has happened, it is truly even more special," she added.
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