what is professional dance?

It seems like 'professionalism' in a lot of dancers' equates to "being paid fairly" - at least based on a lot of the reading I've done of dance stuff online. In my mind, there's a big difference between being a professional (being paid) and being professional (committed and invested in your art). And there also seems to be a notion that one is either a student or a paid, 'professional' dancer.

But that's not necessarily the case with pretty much any other art. Artists participate in plenty of community events without getting paid - independent theatre and dance does this without compromising professionalism or the performers' ability to get paid in other venues.

So, a question for the dancers on my f-list - does getting paid matter to you? Is it truly a problem for dancers or tribes to perform for a community without being paid?

I've been thinking that, except for the ability to do things like rent space and buy costume stuff, I don't really like the idea of getting paid. Yet people tend to equate what they pay for something with the value of it.