Heart to Toe Studios began in a carpeted church basement by a mom of four who couldn’t find a ballet studio for her five-year-old daughter. Christina Wieters was looking for something with Christian values, offering modest costumes and age-appropriate songs, that fit into her schedule and promoted self-confidence over competition. Four of her friends were looking for the same thing. When all of them came up empty, they asked Christina if she would teach these five five-year-olds, using her background as a ballet dancer in high school. One of those tiny students was Joy Wieters, the current Director of Heart to Toe Studios.

Christina Wieters taught ballet for seven years, adapting books by Max Lucado for performances. She ended with her magnum opus, an original Christmas ballet entitled The Gift of Family and written by Christina with those same four friends. The studio performed this ballet, which included the gospel story and a message about adoption, at area schools for a final tally of ten performances. Now a mother of six, Christina hung up her dancing shoes to focus on homeschooling.

A few years later, at barely 17, Joy Wieters (now Krahnke) took up the baton and has developed Heart to Toe Studios into what it is today. Over the last ten years, she has adapted two Narnia books and written eight original ballets including The Mirror in the Faery Wood, The Lady of the Moors, and The Mermaid’s Pearl.

MEET OUR STAFF

JOY KRAHNKE

DIRECTOR, Level 6 TEACHER, CHOREOGRAPHER

Joy Krahnke was introduced to ballet at Heart to Toe Studios under her mother. She went on to train at Stroia Ballet and Central Minnesota Music School in St. Cloud, MN. She considers a handful of private lessons given her by close friend Elizabeth Basham, who was studying at Belhaven School of Dance, to be among the most valuable lessons she ever received.

But even with this training, she considers the book Intro to Ballet Technique to be what truly made her as a teacher. She finds that students respond better to the stringent disciplines of ballet if they know the why, which that book explains like no teacher ever did. MORE INFO

PAULA SAHLSTROM

Administrator

Paula and her family have been a part of Heart to Toe Studios since 2012 when her daughter, Callie, started ballet. She lives in Foley with her husband Brian. They have 5 children and in 2023, they became grandparents! She has graduated three of her children from their home school, Sahlstrom Academy. She enjoys being able to work from home so she can continue to home school. As a family, they have fostered infants and adopted their most recent foster son in 2022.

Paula always dreamed of being a dancer when she was younger but it never worked out, so when Heart to Toe Studios began an adult class, she decided to take the leap! Paula enjoyed dancing in the studio for 11 years alongside her daughters, Callie and Elaina.

She appreciates having a godly teacher and studio for their family to dance with who also has the goal of glorifying God with dance. Paula is passionate to help families feel connected, informed, and cared about through her role as Administrator. 

MORGAN MADSEN

Level 1-5 teacher, choreographer

Morgan Madsen is a 2022 homeschool graduate and is the oldest of three girls. Morgan has been dancing since she was four years old. She attended St. Cloud School of Dance for two years. She also danced at Ms. Melinda’s on a competitive team for a year. In 2013 Morgan’s family joined Heart to Toe Studios and she has been dancing here ever since.         

Morgan enjoys dancing at Heart to Toe Studios and loves praising God through ballet. She has been teaching for six years. She currently teaches Levels 1A - 5A and offers classes in both Sartell and Princeton. She has choreographed for six ballets. Morgan is grateful for the opportunity to share her love of ballet with young dancers, and help them praise our Audience of One through dance.

CHLOE HANSEN

LEVEL 1 COMMUNITY ED TEACHER

Chloe was a member of our 9-month Future Leaders Club Program in 2023-24, where she learned about all of the behind-the-scenes systems, tasks, and decisions that it takes to run a studio!

After this, she completed her training as a Level 1 Teacher, and currently teaches Community Ed in Princeton and Foley under the supervision of Mrs Joy. They have also taught a Princeton studio session together.

Miss Chloe plans to expand her ballet education this summer to include some week long ballet intensives.

Chloe is a talented dancer, a loving teacher, and adds brightness to all the lives she touches! She is a responsible and intelligent staff member and we are so glad to have her on our team!