Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars gave fans an emotional “Dedication Night” episode. Each competitor dedicated their dance to a person, or group, that was influential in their lives. Plus, judge Derek Hough danced with his wife, former DWTS troupe member Hayley Erbert. While that may not seem like a big deal, Hayley suffered a life-threatening medical emergency last December. She underwent an emergency brain surgery because she suffered a brain bleed. And her complete recovery, and ability to dance again, have been nothing short of miraculous.
Hayley Erbert said it was “so special to be back” on DWTS
Hayley and Derek’s emotional dance didn’t leave a dry eye in the ballroom. I’m sure that many fans, myself included, also cried. Their performance was gorgeous and just magical.
“I’m doing really good, especially after tonight. I’m just kind of on cloud nine right now,” Hayley told Page Six. “It was a beautiful experience to be back in the ballroom.”
Then her husband shared his thoughts. “There’s so much gratitude, so much to be thankful for,” Derek stated. “To be here in this room, after a difficult and triumphant year … it’s amazing. Looking through that [hospital] footage, in that moment, we never thought in a million years we’d be here.”
While the couple thought about many different songs, they selected Benson Boone’s song Beautiful Things for their performance. “There’s always so many songs when choosing the perfect one. But I remember him sending me [that] one,” the So You Think You Can Dance alum said. “I listened to it in the car by myself and I just instantly started crying. I was like, ‘This is it. This is the one.’”
For Derek, the lyrics captured his emotions during Hayley’s medical emergency. “That song itself, the original version, I just listened to the melody so much. But then when I heard the stripped-down version, I was like, ‘Oh wait, I’m actually hearing the lyrics,’” he explained. “The idea of, ‘Please don’t go,’ it was how I felt – how I felt in the moment.”
As for Hayley, she continued to feel emotional backstage after their dance. “I was a mess the whole time, just bawling my eyes out,” she stated, “but only because it’s so special to be back. There was a time where I never knew if I’d be able to even dance again.”
Hayley continued, “So to be back here, doing what I love, with the person that I love, surrounded by so many people that have supported us throughout this entire journey, it was really so special.”
And Derek shared that fans can look forward to learning more about Hayley’s journey. The duo has been working on a documentary with an Emmy-winning filmmaker who is a “good friend” of Derek’s. As of now, the documentary doesn’t have a release date yet. I’m glad that Hayley is sharing her inspiring story with all of us.
Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.
TELL US – WERE YOU MOVED BY HAYLEY AND DEREK’S DANCE? WILL YOU WATCH THEIR DOCUMENTARY?
