Nestor Capoeira was initiated by Mestre Leopoldina, a living legend of Rio de Janeiro's capoeira.  Later he joined the "Senzala Group" and received his corda-vermelha (red rope, or red belt, Senzala's highest graduation) in 1969.

In 1990 he started to work independently in his "Escola Nestor Capoeira" with his own specific teaching method.  In these last 40 years he has played, taught, performed, lectured, and researched capoeira in Brasil and abroad. 

He was the pioneer of teaching capoeira abroad Brasil, starting by "The London School of Contemporary Dance" (1971).  He has lived and taught abroad Brasil for 10 years in different periods.

He did two nation-wide "specials" on capoeira for Brazilian television (TVE, 1979, 1984).

He played the main role, the "hero" on the only capoeira movie made in Brasil ("Cordão de Ouro", Embrafilmes, 1978, available in VHS and DVD).

Nestor wrote and produced two DVDs, directed and edited by Vitor Lins e Silva Mazilli, and only available in 2007:

•	"Nestor 40 anos de Capoeira), 2004.  Wich comemorates Nestor's 40 year as a capoeira player;
•	"Mestre Leopoldina, o bom malandro", 2005. On mestre Leopoldina (born 1933), Nestor's first mestre.

He has presented in Brasil's leading theatres such as:

As well as abroad:

•	O pequeno manual do jogador de capoeira.  São Paulo: Ground,  1981.  Exp. and rev, ed.: Rio de Janeiro, Record, 1998.
•	Galo já cantou.  Rio de Janeiro: ArteHoje, 1985.   Exp. and rev, ed.: Rio de Janeiro, Record, 1999.
•	Capoeira, os fundamentos da malicia.  Rio de Janeiro:Record,1992.
•	A balada de Noivo-da-Vida e Veneno-da-Madrugada.  RJ: Record, 1997.

In the United States:

•	The little capoeira book.  Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1995.
•	Capoeira, roots of the dance-fight-game. Berkeley: NAB, 2001.
•	A streetsmart song, capoeira philosophy and inner life. Berkeley, Blue Snake (NAB), 2006.

In France:

•	Le petit manuel du jouer de capoeira.  Paris: Budo/L'Eveil, 2003.

In Denmark:

•	With BORGHALL, J.  Capoeira, kampdans og livsfilosofi fra Brasilien. Odense: Odense Universitetsforlag, 1997.

In Holand:

•	With BORGHALL, J.  Capoeira, kampdans og livsfilosofi fra Brasilien. Odense: Odense Universitetsforlag, 1997.
•	Capoeira, een handboek voor speeler. Holand: Elmar, 2003.

In Germany:

•	Capoeira, Kampfkunst und Tanz aus Brasilien.  Berlim: Weinmann, 1999.

In Poland:

•	Capoeira.  Wroclaw: Purana, 2005.

In Finland:

•	Pieni Capoeirakirja.  Finland: Art House, 2005.

Nestor graduated as an engineer (ENE-UFRJ, 1969) but worked as such for only two years ("Light Power Company of Rio de Janeiro", 1970/71) when he started to dedicate himself entirely to capoeira.

Nestor has a master's degree (Ritual Roda, mandinga x tele-real, 1995) and a PhD (Jogo corporal e Comunicultura, 2001) in Communication and Culture ("Escola de Comunicação, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro"), under the supervision of Prof. Muniz Sodré, both focusing on capoeira and it's insertion, in Brasil and abroad, in today's so called "globalization era".

He tours every year from three to six months abroad  giving capoeira workshops, lectures, performing (see "Available Programs" if you want mestre Nestor to give a workshop or lecture in Brasil or abroad for your group).

When he is in Rio, he gives classes, mon/wed/fri evenings, at the "Galpão das Artes Urbanas", in the Gávea/Leblon neighbourhood.