The Silver Dancers have become a staple when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs, but little did the dance team know, as the season ended, the end of the Silver Dancers would soon follow, and for good, according to former Silver Dancers.
Former Silver Dancer Teresa Cantu said the current dancers were shocked by the news.
“The women on the team this year are from all over, even from different countries and they uprooted their lives, they put their careers on hold and came here," Cantu said.
On Friday, Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced they were holding auditions for a hype team next season. A Spurs official confirmed with KENS 5 News that the hype team would replace the Silver Dancers in the future.
Cantu was a Silver Dancer for three seasons and says the dancers were told they were being cut due to a lack of fan interest, but she isn’t convinced.
"People would get there early to engage and take pictures,” Cantu said.
"I've had fans reach out to me through social media asking, ‘what can we do, how can we help,’" former dancer Trish Durham said.
As a former dancer, she said team members pour their hearts into the sport and many worked tirelessly to elevate a legacy that was quickly erased.
"They deleted the Instagram page, deleted the web pages that are associated with it,” Cantu said.
According to the organization, the hype team will offer family-friendly entertainment including acrobats, dance and stunts.
"It's such a huge loss for the community," Cantu said.
The former dancers say it's not just shattered dreams, it's a step backwards in the women's movement.
“I feel like those little girls have lost role models, in knowing, ‘oh you’re a dancer, yeah, but I’m also a teacher," Melissa Martinez said.
According to the Spurs Sports & Entertainment release, auditions for the new hype team will be held on July 21 and Aug. 5 at the University of the Incarnate Word.