In spring of 2015, Hannah Hackel brought The Story Ballet—a touching reenactment of the story of salvation from creation to the resurrection—to stages across Michigan. In the audience one Sunday afternoon during their second tour, eleven-year-old Carissa Parunak was watching her very first dance performance. Mesmerized, she knew that day that she wanted not only to dance, but also specifically to be taught by Hannah—even though Hannah lived miles away.

Carissa’s prayerful mother, Andrea, encouraged her to take her desires to God. Though she didn’t expect much to happen, Carissa took the advice… and barely had a few months passed when He answered beyond her wildest dreams.

Apparently, creating The Story Ballet was not all the Lord had in store for Hannah. In fall of 2015, she tackled an even bigger endeavor: creating a new studio, with a vision to teach students to dance “in a way that is worshipful, encouraging, and focusing the glory back to God.” The result was His Feet Dance.

And it was right near Carissa’s family home.

Many more little miracles followed, and the nature of the studio's beginnings set the stage for its being run through constant prayer and total dependence on God. This was only heightened when after six years, in 2021, God led Hannah to marry her best friend, John Manwiller, and to pass the studio on... to Carissa, who was then only seventeen.

When it began, His Feet Dance had 22 students, one teacher, and three classes a week. That was a decade ago. Since then, thousands have been impacted and hundreds of students have already come through its doors, stepping into a world where Christ is magnified, the arts are authentically pursued, and each student is instilled with passion—not just for dance, but, more importantly, for the Lord.