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

Erbert was rushed to the hospital in December after suffering a traumatic brain injury.

Hayley Erbert is hitting the dance floor once again!

On Wednesday, the 29-year-old dancer and husband Derek Hough celebrated their return to the dance studio with a poignant black-and-white snapshot on Instagram.

In the pic, the couple -- who tied the knot in August 2023, just months before Erbert was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury -- pose in an empty dance studio as Erbert rests her head on Hough's shoulder.

"Stepping onto this blank canvas together. Beginning to paint again," the pair captioned their joint post.

The photo comes just a few weeks after Erbert and Hough, 38, made their first joint red carpet appearance since Erbert underwent emergency surgery in December.

Erbert went to the event sans head scarf and showed off a pixie hairstyle as her dark locks continue to grow in following a series of skull surgeries, which she underwent after suffering a cranial hematoma.

Erbert was rushed to the hospital on Dec. 6 after she became "disoriented" during a performance on the couple's Spectacular Symphony of Dance Tour 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.

ET spoke with Hough in February, and he marveled at his wife's recovery, sharing, "She's doing amazing."

"She really is. I can't say enough, I really can't, how inspiring she is," he shared. "She's doing better each day. There's 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."

Erbert herself shared a video in February, in which she shared a health update and talked about how thankful she is to be alive.

"I'm doing so much better every single day, so much progress every single day," she said, sitting next to her husband. 

"A new haircut, a new scar, a new sac of fluid on the side of my face, which is supposed to eventually go away," Erbert added, laughing. "A new skull. But also, a new outlook on life. Life is so precious. Spend time with the ones you love. Hold them close, 'cause you never know what could happen."

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