"Mo the caller", judging by your nickname: could it be that you are grudging? In Russia, Ukraine and other countries with Russian influence, dancing is as common as, say, football (soccer) in Brazil, for boys and girls. You start in kindergarten, whether you want or not, and many continue eagerly without ever earning a penny with it. A small percentage become professional, paid by fans and public institutions (and, in post-communist times, sponsors), but that can only work if there are enough ambitious young amateurs to choose from. Money and medals alone scarcely do the trick.