The Milwaukee Bucks announced Tuesday that they would replace the Milwaukee Bucks Dancers with gender-inclusive dance team named the 414 Crew.

According to an email current members received, the team will transition from a traditional dance team to one that will have "dancing, tumbling, break-dancing, tricking and other unique talents."

To the Bucks organization, it was a good opportunity to follow the direction that many other professional sports teams have already gone in.

"We're kind of constantly looking to evolve and broaden our reach and be as inclusive as we possibly can," Bucks President Peter Feigin said. "We've seen the trend change. We've seen dance entertainment teams morph into a lot of different things, and we loved what the co-ed dance teams were starting to look like."

The Sacramento Kings went in a similar direction in May this year, cutting the Kings Dancers and replacing them with the gender-inclusive "916 Crew."

Feigin said the Bucks are crafting their own team, but did take inspiration from other co-ed teams in the NBA, such as the Boston Celtics' Green Team.

According to the Celtics' website, the team is "comprised of 25 talented men and women with backgrounds in cheerleading, tricking, acrobatics and break dancing."

The Boston Celtics also have a dance team that's separate from the Green Team.

Tiffany Fontaine was on the Bucks dance team from 2005 to 2012 — when it was called Energee! and under different ownership. She was a captain for five of those years.

She said between the "Me Too" and fair pay movements, it was hard for professional organizations across the county to keep dance teams.

"My second year we were told we had to be sexier, so we went that route, and now they're saying it's too sexy and women aren’t being respected," Fontaine said. "Now they’re solving the problem by getting rid of it, and that’s kind of a slap in the face to women who worked so hard on the team."

Fontaine said she doesn't mind adding men to the team, but it does mean that fewer women will make the team in the future.

"They're calling it gender equality," she said. "The NBA is mostly male-run, like front office staff, and the one thing that was female dominated, they want to take away and give it to both genders. It's interesting this is the one thing they're concerned with."

The Bucks also deleted the Milwaukee Bucks Dancers' Facebook page filled with pictures of the former dance teams. Fontaine said that shows they don't "respect the legacy" of the women's dance teams associated with the Bucks since 1991.

"All of a sudden it's like Energee! and MBD never existed," she said.

Feigin said that the rebranding was intentional, but that it doesn't take away from the legacy.

"We wanted to make sure on the branding side that this was a significant pivot. We thought about how we can really change it," he said. "There's no broken legacy. This is the opportunity to evolve and put a stamp on change and innovation to enhance what we have been doing."

He said that the team would perform at games, but also be used for promotions and as personalities during the game.

Alli Donner, who was a team leader this past season, quit in November because the team was already dancing less.

"We were dancing twice a game two years ago, and then this year didn’t even dance at every game," Donner said. "We're just used for throwing T-shirts and sometimes not even dancing."

The dancers found out they were being disbanded in a meeting on July 22.

Donner says those who were still on the team won't have a chance to try out for other professional dance teams because most tryouts are in June and July.

If the former Bucks dancers don't make the 414 Crew — or don't want to join it — "then their professional dance career is over," Donner said.

Feigin said the Bucks are looking to have equal representation of men and women on the new team, and will cater choreography around the dance styles of those who make the team.

When asked how performances will look different, Feigin said "I don’t know that we know the answer yet. We are looking at what our opportunities are to mix looks like. I think it will create a lot more diversity in performance."

Auditions for the 414 Crew will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, at the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center, 1201 N. Sixth St., Milwaukee.

A finalist boot camp will then be held Aug. 19-23.

Those auditioning should be able to perform in front of large crowds and have strong performance and speaking skills.

They must be willing to commit to a mandatory team practice once a week and Bucks home games, community appearances and events around the greater Milwaukee area for one full year.

For any questions on the 414 Crew, or for more information, contact Melanie Ricks at MRicks@bucks.com or visit www.bucks.com/414crew.

Jordyn Noennig covers pop culture and entertainment in Milwaukee. Follow her on Instagram @JordynTaylor_n. Find her on Twitter: @JordynTNoennig. Call her at 262-446-6601 or email Jordyn.Noennig@jrn.com.