Some days, Firefly Studio’s large, sunlit room is Handwriting Camp where children work on developing their writing skills through games, crafts and art. Other days, it is filled with mothers and their infants learning baby yoga and massage techniques. On weekends, the studio sometimes becomes a space for private dance lessons. This is exactly the versatility that Firefly Studio’s owner, Michelle Postles, envisioned when she opened the studio in 2007.
Michelle, who received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Brenau University in 2000, has had a private practice for nine years. In 2007, she decided she wanted a central location for her therapy work in the Decatur community. “I needed a place that would be accessible,” Michelle explains. She chose Acme Lofts, in part, because the first floor space meets the Americans with Disabilities Act specifications. Acme Loft’s central location in the city of Decatur was also an important factor. Michelle credits some of Firefly Studio’s success, even in the recent economic recession, to word-of-mouth business within the Decatur community.
She also liked the adaptability of the studio’s space. Michelle installed the gleaming hardwood floors herself along with the help of family. The studio’s floors and spaciousness allow it to function like a blank canvas. The space can be rented out by dance instructors and schools for various needs, and it also gives Michelle and the studio’s staff the ability to offer classes with dance, creative movement and yoga. The staff includes Adesi Canaglia Brown, a certified MUSIKGARTEN instructor, Erica DeBlasio, a dance instructor and jewelry maker, and Jenny Shannin, a Play to Learn instructor and licensed speech-language pathologist.
The classes offered at Firefly Studio reflect the staff’s varied skills. MUSIKGARTN classes, offered for children up to age five, combine music, dance and American Sign Language. The Play to Learn classes for toddlers blend learning and playing and also include instruction in basic sign language. In addition to Handwriting Camp, Firefly Studio also offers Creative Movement and Butterfly Yoga Camp. While these classes and camps are all designed to meet children’s varying developmental needs, they also all encourage artistic expression. This is because for children, parents, and the Decatur community, Michelle wants Firefly Studio to essentially be “an open, creative art space.”
