Julia, a single mother who works in an unsatisfying job as a switchboard operator, expresses herself only through danzon, a traditional Cuban ballroom dance. When Carmelo, her dance partner for over five years, suddenly disappears, Julia finds that much of her pleasure in danzon goes with him. Though she knew Carmelo only on the ballroom floor, Julia journeys to the seaport town of Vera Cruz in an attempt to find him and to recover the missing part of her life.
There, in a world unlike any she has known, she encounters sailors and prostitutes and befriends them -- especially Susy, a good-hearted transvestite singer who tries to help her locate Carmelo. To her surprise, Julia's quest leads to an unexpected romance and to self-discovery.
