Amy Wolfe honors son’s life and sacrifice with ballet entitled “Colin”

WJLA.com:

A Manassas mother is honoring her son’s memory the best way she knows how – through dance.

After 9/11, Colin Wolfe of Manassas decided to trade in ballet to serve our country. But after less than two months in Afghanistan, he was killed by a roadside bomb in 2006.

Now his life story is being choreographed by his mom, Amy Grant Wolfe, Manassas Ballet Theatre Artistic Director.

The lifelong choreographer is telling the tale of a young man who was a dancer before he became a Marine.

“He would know that this is how I reach out to many many people who have gone through the same thing,” Wolfe says.

Colin is among our nation’s more than 6,600 fallen heroes who gave their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Joshua Burnham has the tough task of portraying someone who was so beloved and had his life cut tragically short.

“To be dancing a role that is so real and has such a close connection with the director, it’s a great sense of responsibility to really give it my best,” Burnham says.

Margaret Hannah is the dancer who is playing Amy Grant Wolfe.

“It’s heartbreaking and you can’t imagine a mother having to go through something like that,” Hannah says. “And it’s very hard. You want to cry and you want to hold certain things, but at the same time you have to be on the music and you’re doing all these steps.”

“I want to portray even though something horrible has happened to me that I’m still a strong individual that can get through everything so I hope I make Amy proud,” Hannah says.

The ballet titled “Colin” is broken into four chapters: Home, Commitment, Love and War. It ends with a light shining and Colin’s flute playing in the background.

Even though he’s only there in spirit, his mom senses her son is right beside her, watching with pride.

“I feel like he’s with me always,” she says. “It’s just the way it is.”

The ballet “Colin” is part of a larger performance called “La Boutique Fantasque and More!” It debuts this weekend at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas.

There will be two shows, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

To Colin Wolfe, thank you for your service.

To the Wolfe family,  thank you for allowing our community to share in paying tribute to your son Colin.

Further reading-Washington Post