Dani Krapf, a longtime listener of the country star, tells PEOPLE the moment was “surreal”
Kelsea Ballerini had a memorable moment with a fan, who gave her a sweet gift on her North American headlining tour.
Dani Krapf, 23, a Fort Smith, Ark., resident, went to the country star’s show with more than just a sign to support when she attended her Tulsa, Okla., concert on April 5.
Although it wasn’t her first show (Krapf, who has been a fan of Ballerini’s since she released “Love Me Like You Mean It” in 2015, tells PEOPLE she saw the singer in concert when she opened for Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney in 2018 and 2023), her seat for this one was the closest she’s been to the stage.
She wanted to dress to impress and she did so by bedazzling her own cowboy boots by hand. Her personalized pair featured tons of colorful gemstones inspired by Ballerini’s past musical eras as well as song titles from Patterns and Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) .
But, “when I saw how cool they were I decided I wanted to try and get them to her,” Krapf says. That’s how the personalized piece ended up in Ballerini’s hands — and eventually on her feet.
“As she walked over to talk to me about the boots, I just couldn’t believe it. I have looked up to her for years and [thought], the woman that helped heal me is seeing me, loving the boots that I made,” Krapf shares.
The sweet interaction was posted to TikTok, where a surprised Ballerini could be seen promising to wear the boots to perform the show’s final song.
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And she did.
While singing “Penthouse (Healed Version),” Ballerini flashed the sparkly boots just for Krapf.
“I wanted to cry happy tears. Watching her not just wear them but show them off on stage even though they were too big [the pair were in Krapf’s shoe size] was the most surreal moment of my life.”
Krapf didn’t get to meet Ballerini (she did get a selfie, though, that Ballerini took from the stage), but she can’t express enough gratitude to the singer for showing her — and her boots — lots of love.
“One day I hope I get the meet her to be able to tell her my story on how she has healed me,” she tells PEOPLE. On her love for the artist, Krapf adds: “Her storytelling through music has always seemed so genuine and very relatable. She isn’t afraid to tell her story even if it’s hard and makes you feel like you can get through anything.”
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