Today we’d like to introduce you to Noa Barankin.
Hi Noa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up internationally, between the Middle East and Europe, and I think a lot of who I am today comes from that mix of rhythms, textures, and life experiences. Moving around, meeting people from all over, and being immersed in music and dance from a young age shaped my curiosity and creativity.
I actually came to tap dance a little late—at 12 years old—after some failed attempts at other styles. The moment I tried it, I fell in love. Tap holds history, community, rhythm, and artistry all in one form. It’s challenging, but also thrilling, and I knew I had found something that would stay with me.
I danced through high school, then paused, and picked it back up again in my early 20s. At the time, I was a law student with dreams of becoming a lawyer. Then a friend asked me to cover her dance classes during her maternity leave, and something clicked. I loved teaching, I was good at it, and I felt a pull back to the arts that I couldn’t ignore. Soon after, I auditioned for a percussion company, got in, and spent three years touring internationally with them.
When I later moved to Boston, I returned to teaching and started choreographing works that combined two of my passions: tap and percussion. My students won first place in national competitions with these pieces, and I won awards for concept, entertainment and choreography, with judges saying they could imagine them as part of “STOMP.” That gave me the push to take it to a professional level, and DrumatiX was born.
Since then, I’ve relocated to San Diego, but DrumatiX has grown into three active companies—in Boston, San Diego, and Los Angeles. We’ve performed in five states, won awards at Fringe Festivals, and been voted Best Live Theatre and Family Performances by Boston Parents Paper for three consecutive years. Our work has been featured at major venues like Lincoln Center in New York, Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island, and here in San Diego at The Old Globe and the airport, where I was selected for the Performing Arts Residency in 2024. Beyond theaters and festivals, we’ve also created dynamic performances for corporate clients, including Cisco (a digital performance for 150,000 people worldwide!), Quicken Loans, and the Boston Bar Foundation, bringing our unique blend of rhythm and creativity into event settings.
It’s been a winding road from law school to rhythm and percussion, but looking back, it feels inevitable. Rhythm, movement, and storytelling are where I come alive, and creating DrumatiX has allowed me to bring those passions together in ways I never could have imagined when I first laced up my tap shoes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road! The pandemic hit right at the moment when things were starting to take off—May 2020 was supposed to be the first month I finally earned “real money” from DrumatiX. Overnight, all shows were canceled, and like so many artists, I had to completely rethink how to keep creating and connecting without a stage.
On top of that, being an immigrant came with its own set of hurdles. For seven years I was on an O-1 visa, which meant that every renewal felt like a test of whether I was “convincing” enough to stay. Each cycle required me to prove my worth all over again, with an exhaustive portfolio of press, reviews, and achievements. It was stressful, but in a way, it also kept me pushing forward, building more momentum for DrumatiX.
And then there’s motherhood. Since starting the company, I’ve had three children. It’s been the most beautiful gift and also the biggest challenge—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Balancing family needs, shifting priorities, and the demands of being both an artist and an entrepreneur has tested me in every way imaginable.
But I think all of these challenges have shaped the work I create and the way I lead. They’ve forced me to be resourceful, persistent, and deeply intentional about what I put into the world.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work lives at the intersection of rhythm, movement, and storytelling. I create performances that blend tap dance, body percussion, drumming on everyday objects, clowning, and technology into something playful, inventive, and high-energy. With DrumatiX, I transform the ordinary—buckets, barrels, cardboard boxes, household items—and even my own invented instruments into a shared musical playground.
What I’m most proud of is how our work sparks joy and curiosity. We don’t just perform for audiences; we invite them into the experience with humor, interactive moments, and the reminder that rhythm is a language everyone speaks.
Alongside touring productions, arts-in-education is core to what I do. DrumatiX is on the rosters of The Music Center (Los Angeles), Segerstrom Center for the Arts (Orange County), and Arts for Learning Massachusetts. We bring assemblies and residencies to schools where students compose rhythms, build instruments from everyday materials, explore coordination and listening, and connect the work to STEAM and SEL.
What sets my company apart is the fusion itself—it’s not just dance, not just percussion, and not just theatre. It is all of it at once, which opens doors in theaters, schools, festivals, corporate events, and community spaces alike. At its heart, my work shows that rhythm is everywhere—and that everyone belongs inside it.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m not someone who leans heavily on outside resources, but I do love listening to How I Built This Podcast on Spotify. Hearing other entrepreneurs and creators talk about their journeys—their wins, their failures, and the persistence it takes—always reminds me that building something meaningful is never a straight line. It’s motivating to hear those behind-the-scenes stories and know that resilience and creativity are at the heart of so many success stories.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drumatixdance.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/drumatix_dance
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/drumatix
Image Credits
Joni Lohr
Kara Dry
Taylor Jackson
Whitney Browne
