Guillermo Locke is an American anthropology student traveling to Brazil for the first time to study its "culture of violence" for his thesis. " Mestre" is a poor but respected community leader and master teacher of Capoeira (ka' pou ey' ra), a Brazilian tradition of martial arts and dance. Namibia is Mestre's whimsical 12-year-old daughter. The lives of all three are changed forever as they cross paths amidst the paradoxical, spiritual, and celebratory backdrop of Carnival.