I am a former member and captain of Marquette University’s dance team, “Intensity,” from 2000 to 2004.

During my run on the team we were 16 girls who loved dancing, loved basketball and loved to entertain.

We were self-taught, self-managed, self-coached, and at times self-funded.

We were professional both on and off the court and spent a lot of time participating in volunteer activities and youth dance clinics.

I am proud to say one of our biggest fans was Joani Crean.

She would always comment on how professional we appeared and how much energy we brought to the Bradley Center atmosphere.

After I graduated MU with my bachelor’s degree in 2004 and my master’s degree in 2005, I began coaching the high school dance team I grew up on.

Naturally I encouraged girls on my varsity team to consider attending Marquette University — not only for the superior academic environment but also as a place to continue expressing their passion for dance.

I am proud to say two of my team members did just that.

Unfortunately, though, in the past three years under new leadership, the team has taken a turn for the worse.

Members have quit, spoken poorly of the current coach and the team has lost its spark and professionalism.

I decided to take one of my varsity team members who was interested in Marquette University to a game last year.

She was excited to feel the MU atmosphere and witness the dance team I had talked so fondly about.

Imagine my surprise and embarrassment when I realized the dance team wasn’t even there!

Intensity would have NEVER in a million years not showed up to support the team we loved.

In all my four years we never even went on spring break, so as not to miss a basketball game.

I even drove in a blizzard during Christmas break to make a performance!

I got a tearful phone call from two of my past Dance Team members who are now Marquette freshmen — they didn’t make the MU dance team.

Their disappointment was palpable, even over the phone. I was shocked.

These girls are both incredibly talented dancers who helped their team win a Division I State Title.

As a former judge of MU Dance Team tryouts, I thought they were great candidates.

Evidently the current judges decided to only take 12, which meant only four new girls on the team (the usual team is 16 members).

I don’t understand why at a school with Division I basketball you would limit yourself to such a small, sparse team.

I speak for all of the past members of Intensity when I say we are outraged, disappointed and embarrassed at the condition of the current team.

As the previous “Sweet 16” of Intensity, we have left MU to find success as dentists, doctors, physician assistants, engineers, attorneys, nurses, dance teachers and coaches, to name a few.

We represent a group of educated women who loved to dance (and still do), loved Marquette basketball (and still do), and loved being on Intensity.

Even to this day we are a close-knit sisterhood of women that have been there for each other’s weddings, babies, good times and bad.

We know the phrase “talk is cheap” rings true and thus many of us past members have come forward to offer free assistance. But we have all been turned away.

Some of us have danced on professional dance teams and choreographed professionally, and could offer a lot to the current dance team.

I truly hope this letter brings awareness and I hope things can change soon.

If you are a current member reading this, come together and get Intensity back to where it used to be — a team I used to say I was proud to have been on.

In the words of the original “Sweet 16”: Intensity4Life.

Linnea Putra is a former captain of Intensity and graduated from Marquette in 2004. Brooke Bohmann Jackson was captain of the team from 2001-2004.