Dallas Mavericks get rid of dancers, creating family-friendly ‘entertainment squad'

Say goodbye to the scantily clad Mavs Dancers and hello to a more family-friendly “entertainment squad.”

The Dallas Mavericks announced Friday that its dance team is being disbanded and a new entertainment squad will take its place.

The move is part of the fallout from an investigative report last year detailing a culture of sexual harassment inside the organization’s front office, although the dance team and other performers were never involved or implicated.

Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall said when she took over last year she wanted to tone down the sexualized performances of the Mavs Dancers and have them wear less revealing outfits. Now, one year later, the team is gone for good.

The move was a surprise to the dancers, but it’s not unprecedented. Last year, the San Antonio Spurs disbanded its dance team and replaced it with a more family-friendly hype team with all sort of stunts.

Some dancers could be a part of the new entertainment squad, as well as members of the ManiAACs and Mavs Drumline.

“The new Mavs entertainment team will consist of talent of all ages, and any and all specialties, including but not limited to tumbling, all forms of dance, illusions, stunts, comedy, ventriloquists, dancing animals, unique digital and technological experiences to bring high-energy entertainment to the full game-day experience,” the team said in a statement on Friday.

The Mavericks front office didn't give a reason for the change and refused a FOX 4 request for an interview on Friday.

Mavericks officials said they want the new squad to focus on “local acts” that show off the “wide variety of high-caliber talent” in North Texas.

As soon as Meredith Barnett posted the news on Facebook, the former Mavs dancer instantly heard from fellow dancers and fans who were upset.

“It hurts. It's kind of sad to know that I can't go watch my friends, or I can't go watch my future niece as a dancer. That's not going to be a thing anymore,” Barnett said. “I think they're punishing the wrong people. It's not the girls' fault. They work their butts off to be where they are at. And now it's being taken away from them. And that's not fair.

Anyone wanting to be a part of the new squad, which will have a name after its assembled, can apply in the coming weeks on the Mavericks website and then try out in front of a celebrity panel on July 13. The team wants local entertainers to begin promoting themselves on social media using “#mavsgottalent.”