Expect to see more skills and less skin from the Dallas Mavericks Dancers when the NBA season opens in October.

Mavs CEO Cynthia Marshall has ordered less revealing uniforms and more wholesome routines. "We want the focus to be on the dancers as artists and to highlight their skills, not be eye candy or sexualized," she said in an interview Tuesday.

But the basketball franchise stopped short of following the San Antonio Spurs' recent decision to eliminate its Silver Dancers squad and shift to a family-friendly coed hype team of stunt artists, tumblers and acrobats.

Spurs management has said next to nothing about the reason for abruptly ending its 26-year tradition. But the switch came amid the #MeToo movement's continued momentum and several troubling exposés earlier this year on the treatment of NFL cheerleading squads.

The Spurs appear clean of the kind of trouble that has rocked the Mavs' front office since revelations early this year of misconduct in the workplace, including sexual harassment and a long culture of permissive and enabling behavior.

Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall says she doesn't want to see the dancers "be eye candy or sexualized." (David Woo / Staff Photographer)

Marshall said the Mavs dancers' new look is part of the 100-day plan aimed at cleaning up problems. "We love our dancers, but we are re-evaluating every aspect of this organization to make sure they are living up to the values we are instilling in the entire Mavericks operation," she said this week.

That means changes in both what the dance squad wears in the arena and in the hundreds of events the women participate in throughout North Texas. Skimpy crop tops and mini shorts will be replaced by comfortable athletic wear. Gone will be the "shake your booty" dances; Marshall wants to see professional-grade hip-hop and lyrical movements.

"Everyone should feel comfortable — both the performers and everyone in the arena," Marshall said. "If someone brings a 10-year-old to the game, I don't want them having to cover the kid's eyes during performances."

And what about that highly sought-after Dallas Mavericks Dancers calendar, with its scantily clad swimsuit photos that feature an abundance of cleavage and provocative poses? That's dead for now.

No corner of the Mavs organization seems to have escaped the Marshall test, who recently met with the ManiAACs team captain, Big Rob, to discuss the look of the beefy hip-hopping men who entertain fans. While many folks love the ManiAACs, is the squad respecting everyone in the crowd?

Repeatedly, Marshall stressed the same theme: "We want what's appropriate."

That's not an easy standard to define in these sensitive times. But one thing's for sure. Everything deemed appropriate before Marshall took the helm is now up for discussion. "Some of what I've seen, hmm, NOPE," she said in one long sigh.

Before you hit the comment button, let's stipulate what should be obvious to everyone, but sadly isn't: Bikini-style uniforms aren't responsible for sexual harassment or violence; badly behaving men are.

The Dallas Mavericks Dancers performed before a game against the Chicago Bulls last season at American Airlines Center. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Marshall is clear on this point. "The dancers are doing nothing wrong; what they wear and how they dance is a part of the culture and the atmosphere that has been around for the past two decades. We will be a part of the evolution that moves these dancers forward as athletes and entertainers."

The women who make up Mavs dance squads are intelligent young women, many of whom have other jobs or also attend school. (It's too bad their online bios don't reflect that.) Many see the Mavs gig — including the photo shoots — as an opportunity for future modeling or entertainment work.

But by stepping into the limelight, they have a responsibility to help the community around them shake off worn clichés. They have every right to show off their muscles, athleticism and dance skills — but how about leading a movement in pro sports that makes them more than ogled objects?

All of us — performers and spectators as well as the teams themselves — must pitch in if we are going to change this culture. It's something that needs to be addressed not just in the NBA, but by the entire sports and entertainment industry. (Looking at you, Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones.)

The Mavs ManiAACs, in a 2017 performance, are also in discussions with CEO Cynthia Marshall about any concerns that might exist in their routines. (Rose Baca / Staff Photographer)

The Mavs dance squad changes are just a small piece of a vital overhaul of the entire basketball organization and its brand. The results from the investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct within the franchise are expected any day.

In San Antonio, many of the Silver Dancers and their supporters have complained that disbanding the squad — done before auditions for the upcoming season — unfairly penalized the women. They saw it as a knee-jerk response to #MeToo and the female commentators who maintain that cheerleading and dance teams are inherently degrading.

Marshall's attempt to move the Mavs dancers into the 21st century seems a far more reasonable way forward than what happened in San Antonio. "When I came into the Mavs organization, I said it will be the NBA standard for diversity and inclusion by 2019 — and I believe that the dancers are a big part of that," Marshall said in closing the interview.

Kicking to the curb that outdated sports trend of big hair and popping cleavage is a great first step.