Coming Up for Air Inside the Soul of a Mexican Dancer is a fictional story about an intense and emotional relationship between Socrates Chamberlain, a North American searching for more meaning in his life, and Mexican Rafael Coria, who is attempting to overcome the challenges of becoming a professional dancer in Mexico. The relationship between the two young men starts out strong but ends up fading, until Socrates, through a mix of experimentation and alchemy, transforms himself into a different person. The transformation ultimately puts to test how each truly feels about the other.