Gabrielle Motta-Passajou (Mestra Agua de Beber) started capoeira in Paris, France, in 1988 with Mestre Marcos China, then Instructor of the late Mestre Peixihno, from the group Senzala do Rio. Agua de Beber moved to Boone, NC, in 1993, where she has been teaching capoeira to both adults and children for two decades. She started training under Mestre Doutor in 2005 and was awarded her Master belt in 2019. Mestra Agua de Beber teaches capoeira in the Boone community and formerly at Appalachian State University.

Capoeira Arte Antiga is under the guidance of Adenilson José dos Santos (Mestre Doutor), who has been teaching capoeira for more than 40 years. Originally from Santos, Brazil, he moved to the United States in 1995 and has been teaching and promoting the art of Capoeira in Philadelphia for more than 20 years. Mestre Doutor is well known in capoeira communities throughout the United States. He was recognized as "a person of extraordinary ability in his field" by the U.S. government and granted American citizenship. In 2004 in Philadelphia, he founded Brazilian Day, a festival that is still celebrated annually. 

For more information on Mestre Doutor, click here.