Hayley Erbert was born on October 11, 1994, in Topeka, Kansas, and is an American professional dancer, choreographer, and television personality. She rose to national attention as a Top 3 finalist on Season 10 of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance in 2013.
Since then, she has become a familiar face on Dancing with the Stars and has navigated a remarkable personal journey, including an emergency brain surgery in 2023 and the birth of her first child in December 2025.
Who is Hayley Erbert?
Hayley Erbert is an American professional dancer who built her career through both competitive television and live performance. She specializes in contemporary dance and has earned national titles across multiple dance styles, including ballet, jazz, and tap.
Her biggest television breakthrough came in 2013 when she reached the Top 3 Females on Season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. That appearance launched a career that included touring with major artists and joining the troupe of Dancing with the Stars.
Hayley served as a troupe dancer on Dancing with the Stars from Season 21 in 2015 through 2018. During that time, she performed alongside celebrities and professionals across multiple seasons and North American live tours.
She is also known as the wife of Derek Hough, the six-time Dancing with the Stars mirrorball champion who later became a judge on the show. The couple married in August 2023 and welcomed their first child, daughter Everley Capri Hough, on December 29, 2025.
Early Life of Hayley Erbert
Hayley Erbert grew up in Topeka, Kansas, where her family recognized her passion for movement from a very early age. Her parents, Jerry Erbert and Debbie Erbert, raised her in a supportive household alongside her older brother, Collin Erbert.
She began dancing at just three years old, training in contemporary, ballet, tap, jazz, and gymnastics at a competitive dance studio in Kansas City, Missouri, called Priscilla and Dana’s. Local competitions followed quickly, and her talent became clear well before she reached high school.
Hayley also competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant, finishing as runner-up for Miss Kansas.
Her dance training continued through her years at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, where she balanced demanding practice schedules with her schoolwork. After high school, she moved to Los Angeles, California, at age 18, joining the competitive professional dance world on the West Coast.
Hayley Erbert Age
Hayley Erbert is 31 years old as of 2026, born on October 11, 1994. Her zodiac sign is Libra.
She joined Dancing with the Stars as a troupe member at age 21 and had her first child at 31.
Hayley Erbert Ethnicity and Nationality
Hayley Erbert is American by nationality, born and raised in Topeka, Kansas. Her ethnic background is White American, consistent with her family’s Midwestern roots.
Her upbringing in Kansas shaped her work ethic and drive. The support of her parents and brother Collin throughout her early dance career gave her a stable foundation before her move to Los Angeles.
Hayley Erbert Height and Weight
Hayley Erbert stands at 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is equal to 1.68 meters. Her weight is approximately 54 kilograms, or around 119 pounds.
Her lean, athletic build directly supports her career as a contemporary dancer. Years of rigorous training in multiple dance styles have kept her body agile and stage-ready throughout her professional life.
Hayley Erbert Education
Hayley Erbert completed her high school education at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas. She danced competitively throughout her school years, training at Priscilla and Dana’s studio in Kansas City alongside her academic commitments.
After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue dance professionally. Her early training formed the foundation for her later work on national television and major concert tours.
Hayley Erbert Career
Hayley Erbert began her professional dance journey on a national stage while still in high school. Her training across multiple styles, combined with competitive experience from a young age, prepared her for the fast-paced world of television dance.
Her career has spanned reality competition shows, live concert tours with major recording artists, and multi-city Dancing with the Stars productions.
Breakthrough on So You Think You Can Dance
Hayley’s national career began in 2013 when she auditioned for Season 10 of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance in Austin, Texas. She advanced through the competition and reached the Top 3 Females, performing alongside All-Stars including Twitch, Dmitry Chaplin, and Joshua Allen.
She was still in high school when she competed on the show. That exposure brought her to the attention of both industry professionals and a national television audience.
Following her appearance, she received offers to perform with major artists. Those gigs included performances with Pitbull, Carrie Underwood, and Paula Abdul, giving her experience working at the professional touring level.
Move Live on Tour and DWTS Troupe
After So You Think You Can Dance, Hayley joined Derek Hough and his sister Julianne Hough on their Move Live on Tour in the summers of 2014 and 2015. That tour took her across the country and put her in front of large live audiences, strengthening her stage presence and connecting her with the Dancing with the Stars world.
A Dancing with the Stars producer spotted her work on the tour and arranged for her to interview for the show’s troupe. She got the role and joined the troupe starting with Season 21 in 2015. From that point through 2018, she appeared in six seasons of Dancing with the Stars on ABC and participated in three of the show’s Live North American tours.
During her time on the show, she also appeared as a mentor on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors in 2018. She mentored Kameron Couch and her partner Hudson West. Her expanded role on that spin-off highlighted her ability to teach as well as perform.
Recent Work and Return to Dance
After stepping back from the troupe, Hayley continued performing alongside Derek Hough, including during his Symphony of Dance tour in late 2023. That December, while on tour in Washington, D.C., she collapsed and was rushed to hospital after becoming disoriented at the end of a performance.
She had suffered a cranial hematoma caused by a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy, a procedure to remove a portion of the skull to relieve pressure on the brain. Doctors later performed a second surgery, a cranioplasty, to insert a skull implant to replace the removed section. Reports at the time indicated she might not return to dancing.
Hayley documented her recovery publicly over the months that followed. She returned to the dance stage in 2024, joining Derek on his A Symphony of Dance tour. In October 2024, she also appeared on the Dancing with the Stars stage in a moving performance that marked her public return to the ballroom.
In July 2025, the couple announced they were expecting their first child. Hayley gave birth to their daughter, Everley Capri Hough, on December 29, 2025. As of early 2026, she has spoken publicly about adjusting to motherhood and shared her experience with fans through her social media accounts.
In a February 2026 interview with People, she said she would not rule out a return to the ballroom, saying “Never say never.”
Hayley Erbert Awards and Recognition
Hayley Erbert earned national titles across contemporary dance competition during her years of training. Her specialty in contemporary dance brought her multiple competitive awards before she turned professional.
Her appearances on So You Think You Can Dance earned wide public recognition. Reaching the Top 3 Females in a nationally televised competition gave her a platform that launched her touring and television career.
Her return to dance following life-saving brain surgery in 2023 drew extensive media coverage across outlets including NBC News, Today, People, E! Online, and Fox News, further raising her profile as both a dancer and a public figure.
Hayley Erbert Husband
Hayley Erbert married Derek Hough on August 26, 2023, at Santa Lucia Preserve in Monterey County, California, in an outdoor ceremony surrounded by redwood trees. The couple invited 106 guests, including Julianne Hough, Nina Dobrev, Shaun White, and Alfonso Ribeiro.
Hayley wore a custom off-the-shoulder duchess satin gown designed by Georgina Chapman from Marchesa. Derek wore a black Tom Ford suit. Hayley’s brother officiated the ceremony.
The two first met in 2014 when Hayley joined Derek and Julianne Hough’s Move Live on Tour. They began dating in 2015 and went public as a couple at the Television Academy’s 2017 Choreography Peer Group Celebration. Derek proposed in June 2022, with an engagement ring designed by Paris Jewellers.
Their first year of marriage brought both joy and serious challenge. Just four months after the wedding, Hayley underwent emergency brain surgery in December 2023. Derek remained by her side throughout her recovery, later calling her recovery “nothing short of a miracle.”
Hayley Erbert Children
Hayley and Derek Hough welcomed their first child, daughter Everley Capri Hough, on December 29, 2025. The couple announced the birth on January 5, 2026, through a joint Instagram post featuring a black-and-white photo of their hands holding their newborn’s tiny feet.
Hayley had spoken publicly about the pregnancy as a meaningful milestone following her 2023 health scare. She called the birth a deeply emotional experience and opened up in April 2026 about the complexity of new motherhood, describing it as feeling like living in two places at once, with joy and heartache both present at the same time.
Everley’s arrival came two years after Hayley’s emergency brain surgery and followed what the couple described as a healing journey.
Hayley Erbert Net Worth
Hayley Erbert’s estimated net worth is $2 million as of 2026. The bulk of her earnings has come from her work as a professional dancer across television, live touring, and major concert productions over more than a decade.
Her income sources include her seasons as a troupe dancer on Dancing with the Stars, North American live DWTS tours, Derek Hough’s Symphony of Dance tour, and performance work with artists including Pitbull, Carrie Underwood, and Paula Abdul.
She has also collaborated with brands including Beyond Yoga and Fabletics on endorsement deals. Her active social media presence, particularly on Instagram, contributes additional income through sponsorship partnerships.
Hayley Erbert Social Media
Hayley Erbert is active on Instagram under the handle @hayley.erbert, where she shares updates on her dance career, personal life, and motherhood.
She has used her platform throughout her recovery from brain surgery, her pregnancy, and her early months as a new mother. Her posts have reached a wide audience and generated coverage across entertainment media in 2025 and 2026.
The Bottom Line
Hayley Erbert reached the Top 3 Females on So You Think You Can Dance Season 10 in 2013, a result that launched a professional career spanning concert tours, six seasons of Dancing with the Stars, and three national live tours.
Her emergency craniectomy in December 2023, just months after her wedding, tested her physically and emotionally in a very public way. She returned to the stage in 2024, welcomed her daughter Everley in December 2025, and said in early 2026 that she would not rule out a return to the Dancing with the Stars ballroom.
The couple welcomed Everley Capri Hough on December 29, 2025, and Hayley has been sharing her motherhood journey openly with fans ever since.
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