Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ tear-filled routine nearly 1 year after emergency brain surgery

Hayley Erbert and her beloved husband, Derek Hough, were all smiles Tuesday night as they reflected on their triumphant return to “Dancing With the Stars.”

Nearly a year after undergoing an emergency craniectomy, the former troupe dancer and her real-life partner performed an emotional routine that left the entire ballroom in tears during dedication night.

“I’m doing great, especially after tonight,” Erbert exclusively told Page Six after the show. “I’m kind of on cloud nine right now. It was a beautiful experience to be back in the ballroom.”

Hough echoed those sentiments, telling us, “There’s a lot of gratitude, a lot to be thankful for.”

“To be here in this room, after a difficult and triumphant year … is incredible,” he added. “Looking through those pictures (of the hospital), at the time, we never thought in a million years we’d be here.”

Hough and Erbert were married last August, just months before his near-death health scare.

They danced a tearful routine about the experience Tuesday night, marking Erbert’s first time performing in the “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom since the incident.

The pair told Page Six that they considered “many” other songs before finally landing on the acoustic version of “Beautiful Things,” a song from Benson Boone’s 2024 debut album, “Fireworks & Rollerblades,” which they felt it perfectly captured the essence of what they went through together.

“There are always so many songs when it comes to choosing the perfect one,” explained Erbert. “But I remember he sent me (that one). I listened to it in the car alone and instantly I started crying. I said: ‘This is it. This is the one.’

Hough chimed in and told us, “That song itself, the original version, I just listened to the melody so much. It’s so powerful, it was great. But then when I heard the cut version, I was like, ‘Oh, wait , I’m actually listening to the lyrics.”

The “Dancing With the Stars” judge added, “For me, it gave me a different meaning. The idea of ​​’Please Don’t Go,’ was how I felt, how I felt at this moment.”

Erbert told Page Six that after the dance was over and the cameras were off, she also got really emotional backstage as she processed her comeback.

“I was a mess the whole time, just bawling my eyes out, but only because it’s so special to be back,” the “So You Think You Can Dance” alum shared.

“There was a time when I never knew if I would be able to dance again. So to be back here, doing what I love, with the person I love, surrounded by so many people who have supported us throughout this journey, it was very special

Last December, Erbert was rushed to the hospital after collapsing backstage, suffering multiple seizures and “essentially dying” while she and Hough were performing the final leg of their “Symphony of Dance” tour . Doctors told the duo it was a “miracle” that Erbert was alive and survived the traumatic experience.

Hough said Tuesday night’s performance was “just kind of the beginning” because the two had a chance to share Erbert’s story, from what his family went through during that tumultuous time to to come out stronger than ever.

“There’s a lot more that people don’t know (about) the struggles, the journey that he’s been on,” he shared. “And we were lucky enough to capture that.”

The six-time mirrorball champion confirmed that they have been working on a documentary with a “good friend” of Hough’s, who is an Emmy-winning filmmaker. An official release date has not yet been announced.

“It was kind of an accident, honestly,” Hough told us, noting that his friend “filmed as a fly on the wall,” following them on tour, to rehearsals, to dates with the doctor and more.

“He was there through the low times and the high times, so it was this really beautiful, natural, organic experience. And at the end, it was like, ‘Wait, this is a really beautiful story.’ It’s a really honest story and it’s a vulnerable story that’s incredible. Tonight was kind of a nod to (that).

According to Deadline, the documentary Voyeur Verite Presents will be directed by Jason Bergh (“The Greatest Love Story Never Told”) and produced by Bergh and Stephan Bielecki.

Hough is executive producing the project along with Jeff Goldenberg and Courtney Carter, with Matt Bass serving as cinematographer.

“Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.