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Mikhail Baryshnikov and cellist Yo-Yo Ma worked in ensemble on opening night of the Mark Morris Dance Group’s “Dances to American Music” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

On Thursday night, the first of three pieces choreographed by Morris was “Mosaic and United,” set to two string quartets by Henry Cowell. Ma played cello in the quartet.

Baryshnikov is a member of the White Oak Dance Project with Morris. “Mosaic and United” was danced by two sets of five people. In the quintet Baryshnikov definitely was friskier than the other two men in his quintet, and danced well.

As can happen in a program of Morris choreography, some things are much more inventive and interesting than others. “Mosaic and United” left room for the evening to improve, which it did with the more creative “Home.”

Michelle Shocked, well known to followers of folky pop music, and Rob Wasserman, bassist in Lou Reed’s band, wrote and played the music for “Home,” the second dance. Its backdrop was the huge side of a freight car. The first song, sung by the guitar-playing Shocked was about hoboes and trains. Seven dancers, in rustic clothes, danced in unison.

Then Shocked switched to banjo and Wasserman to fiddle and they played an instrumental. Morris and five other dancers in a line did variations on clogging. This was simple but one of the evening’s most workable, enjoyable sections.

Six women danced to a song about a stillbirth. Another instrumental brought more intricate clogging. A song about harvesting winter wheat had the most evocative movement.