Hayley Erbert Returns to Dance Studio With Derek Hough 3 Months After Skull Surgery

Hayley Erbert may be picking up her dancing shoes again.

Three months after the 29-year-old experienced a serious health scare, which included emergency skull surgery, her husband Derek Hough shared a glimpse of her back in the dance studio.

Alongside a black-and-white photo of the couple's backs as they embraced in an empty studio, Derek captioned the March 20 Instagram post, "Stepping onto this blank canvas together. Beginning to paint again."

Back in early December following a show on her and Derek's Symphony of Dance tour, Hayley was hospitalized and ultimately diagnosed with a cranial hematoma caused by a burst blood vessel. While she's paused her professional dance career as she recovers from her multiple surgeries, Derek isn't ruling out her return to the dance floor.

"There's a possibility, there really is," the Dancing with the Stars judge told E! News earlier this month, "We actually met dancing on stage on tour. Our first kiss was on stage on tour. We were touring last year for the first time as a married couple and now this, going back out, there's a completely different meaning and tension."

Hayley has continued to take her health battle in stride, even showing off her new buzzed ‘do and a large scar on her head while reflecting on her journey.

"To this day, I still have really good days and I have really bad days—emotionally and physically sometimes—but I'm doing so much better every single day," she explained in a video posted to Instagram in February. "Truly there is so much progress every day and I'm so grateful for that."

She credited the support of her friends, family, and fans with motivating her during her recovery—including Derek, who's stayed by her side the entire time. And Derek couldn't help but gush over her strength.

"Throughout this experience, this woman has been unbelievable and her perseverance and her acceptance of the whole situation, her strength, it's been remarkable to witness firsthand," he reflected in the video. "She really is a miracle and it's been miraculous and it's still a journey."

As the dancer continues to heal, keep reading to see how Derek and Hayley danced into each other's hearts.

Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert meet back in 2014 when she performed on his and sister Julianne Hough's tour. A Dancing With the Stars producer is impressed with Hayley and she is called to interview to join the show's troupe, getting the job the following year, according to the Hutchington News. Also in 2015, she and Derek begin dating.

The two begin going out to public events, including at the 2016 premiere of the Tony Robbins Netflix documentary I Am Not Your Guru.

The duo get glammed up for a star-studded night out.

The dancers make their red carpet debut as a couple at the Television Academy's 2017 Choreography Peer Group Celebration at Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, Calif.

Hayley joins Derek as his date for the Creative Arts Emmys, where he was nominated for Outstanding Choreography for his work on Dancing With the Stars.

The two attend the star-studded Casamigos Halloween Party.

Hayley joins Derek as he hosts The Americana at Brand shopping mall's Christmas tree lighting event in Glendale, Calif.

The two attend the Hollywood premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The couple steps out at HBO's post-Emmys celebration.

They aren't pumping the brakes as they attend the premiere of Netflix's El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

The two pose for pics at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar viewing party.

Feeling festive, they dance on the special to ring in the Christmas season.

The two are all smiles at the premiere in Los Angeles.

The partners appear at the Creative Arts Emmys, where Derek wins Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming for his work on Dancing with the Stars.

The two dance as they arrive at the 2022 Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars viewing party.

They look top tier on the red carpet.

Hayley flashes her engagement ring at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.

The two get cozy at the launch of the Disney-Pixar film.

The couple honeymoon in Italy following their Aug. 26, 2023 wedding in California.

Derek was by Hayley's side as she underwent emergency skull surgery due to a burst blood vessel. "It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage, to a nightmare in an instant," he wrote on Instagram over a week later. "Her recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle."

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