Pittsburgh marks the convergence of three historic rivers. Each has trafficked Americana since there was an America: everything from Heinz ketchup to the jazz tunes of Billy Strayhorn. The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s debut at the Joyce on Tuesday, “PBT Rocks,” marked a similar convergence: three contemporary choreographers approached the pop sensibility of the company’s program from different directions. The triple bill included music by such rock icons as Sting (Kevin O’Day’s “Sting/ING Situations”) and Bruce Springsteen (Derek Deane’s “Hungry Heart…we all have one!!”), as well as Beethoven and Bach (Dwight Rhoden’s “7th Heaven”).

In “Sting/ING Situations,” Mr. O’Day imagines the melodies of Sting’s most familiar songs. In the opening section, bodies flower into an array of organic shapes, to the the cadences of “A Thousand Years.” A moonscape of softly undulating figures is conjured. Jennifer Langenstein and Stephen Hadala emerge as the organized center of an otherwise free-floating sea of meteoric flotsam. Their partnering is exquisite; he scoops her torso weightlessly and she floats upwards. The ensemble swarms around them, scrolling their arms, hunching their torsos, before abruptly uniting with reaching devellopes, echoing the high-pitched chorus.

To a large extent, the entire vocabulary is introduced in the opening section: self-propelled slides, hip swivels, and intricate floor patterns. The work sustains interest, however, through witty blocking devices. In “Every Breath You Take,” Maribel Modrono and Christopher Rendall-Jackson alternate powerful solos at opposite ends of the stage, while the other stares off. Eventually the couple lilts in a loving, humorous duet. Mr. O’Day’s movements – always sensitive to the music – are limpid and watery throughout.

Mr. Deane’s “Hungry Heart…we all have one!!” is a departure from the abstract, lyrical evocations of “Sting/ING Situations.” It is a demi-caractere sequence fit for Broadway. Performed to Bruce Springsteen’s hottest singles, it takes place in a slightly anachronistic diner called the “Hungry Heart.” A neon sign dangles overhead. There is a full stage set, with tables, window dressing, and a magical jukebox, which links the stories of each character.

The cast consists of eight all-American archetypes. Mr. Deane’s choreography indulges in the guilty pleasure of letting the music take precedence; choreographic innovation is at a minimum. As Springsteen delivers his rock ballads about union cards, Texaco stations, and teenage pregnancy, cast members are free to express their private disappointment, longing, and frustration.

A scofflaw puts in the first nickel. Wearing a leather motorcycle cap and muscle T-shirt, he pirouettes resolutely across the stage to “Darkness at the Edge of Town.” He punches the air, and executes aerial kicks that coincide with the percussion in “Darkness at the Edge of the River.”

The husband and wife are performed with convincing flair by Dmitri Kulev and Julia Erickson. The couple interacts more like adulterers in an angry duet of jealousy and resignation to “I Wanna Be With You.” The Other Woman, played by Kalle Paavola, struts nonchalantly in a red accordion dress, but betrays false confidence as she looks about her, expectantly glissades, and then recovers to the bar to sip a cocktail.

The finest dancing comes from the two GIs, Daisuke Takeuchi and Aaron Ingley, who repeatedly find support in mutual balances. Standing staunchly upright and facing opposite directions, they let their heads fall back on each other’s shoulders as if falling asleep in a foxhole. Later they lean forward and slouch; at the close of “Blood Brothers,” they lean backward completely to form a table.

Mr. Deane, former artistic director of the English National Ballet, opens up the work by having the dancers occasionally act with the background characters. The scofflaw bumps into the husband reading a newspaper; during her forlorn solo, the Other Woman inadvertently gains the interest of the GIs. A bar fight erupts and we see punch-drunk entanglements. “Hungry Heart” concludes when the waiter pulls the plug on the jukebox.

Mr. Rhoden’s “7th Heaven,” a punning take on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, with interludes from Bach, may seem out of place after Bruce Springsteen. But then again, Beethoven was the longhair rocker of his day, especially if we judge him by Joseph Karl Stieler’s famous portrait. Besides, the rhythmic texture of the strings led Wagner to call the work “the very apotheosis of dance.”

The work is a flamboyant study in the grand style. Mr. Rhoden employs humorous preparatory phrases. The ensemble arranges incrementally for an arabesque, looking in all directions. At punctuating moments in the allegro con brio, ballerinas rearrange a hand on their shoulder; a cavalier pulls back the hips of his partner. Miho Morinoue’s costumes for the men are either colorful rayon pants with cutout knees that give a harlequin feel, or red gymnast outfits. Unfortunately, the ensemble was uneven. Alongside the engrossing novelty of the first two works, “7th Heaven” struggled to maintain energy.

All three works reflect the commitment of PBT’s artistic director, Terrence Orr, to build partnerships with living choreographers. The evening showcased an energetic line-up of original works performed with theatrical gusto and technical bravura that promises to make the company a touring favorite in years ahead.

Until April 3 (175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, 212-242-0800).