Aaron Copland’s celebrated Billy the Kid ballet score and the romantic mythology of the American West shape a duet of tenderness, openness, and quiet connection. Created for a mixed repertory program celebrating Americana, the duet reflects the tenderness, longing, and expansive emotional landscape suggested by Copland’s music.

Rather than retelling the full legend of Billy the Kid, the work offers a lyrical glimpse into the atmosphere surrounding one of America’s most enduring antiheroes. Through a brief but evocative duet, the miniature captures the hope, vulnerability, and restless freedom that have long shaped the imagination of the American frontier.