Founded on April 1, 2008 by Broadway veteran and award-winning Comedian, Arts Educator and Entertainer Mina Liccione and Stand-Up Comedian and Producer Ali Al Sayed. Dubomedy Arts produce stellar events and Festivals (Dubai International Comedy Carnival and Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival) and are the premiere comedy and urban arts school in the MENA region offering professional training in comedy: stand-up and sketch, Improvisation, Writing & Performance, Character development and acting, Arabic Comedy, Basic Circus Skills, NYC Tap Dance and Body Beats, Learn to Speak Emirati classes all year round for kids, teens and adults. Dubomedy's mission is to use comedy as a tool to bring people of diverse cultures, religions and financial means together. To produce high quality events featuring international artists as well as annual festivals that are relevant to the MENA Region, celebrate laughter and break stereotypes. To create a sustainable local comedy community by providing professional comedy and urban arts training as well as platforms for local artists. To pave the way, coach, empower, inspire and begin to export comedy talent from the Middle East to the West.
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Dubomedy is also the home of the Dubomedy Sole Steppers - Award winning Tap and Body Beats Group, Improv Revolution - the premiere professional improvisational comedy troupe in the UAE, launched the first weekly local comedy and variety show Monday Night Funnies, Funny Girls - ALL FEMALE Stand-up Comedy Show in the Middle East, Clowns Who Care - volunteer clowning program in the UAE, Stand up Showdown - regular comedy contest in the UAE, and the Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival (DIPAF) - performing arts festival in the UAE featuring over 200 performers. Dubomedy has also acted as entertainment for numerous major events around the MENA region.
Ali Al Sayed
Co-Founder Ali Al Sayed is a renowned comedian in the MENA region acting as Dubai’s first Local Professional Comedian. Al Sayed was named ‘one of the most influential comedians in the world’ by Toastmasters International Magazine and was recently dubbed the “King of Laughter” by Rolling Stone ME. Al Sayed is the founder of the local entertainment company Viva Arts and is also the co-director of Dubomedy Arts and producer of Dubai International Comedy Carnival in the MENA region.
Throughout his career, Al Sayed has performed alongside great comics including Dean Edwards of SNL, Dean Obeidallah, Maz Jobrani, Aron Kader, Remy Munasifi 'Saudi in Audis' creator, Sugar Sammy, Tommy Davidson of 'In Living Color', Hollywood legend Michael Winslow of 'Police Academy' movies and many more. He was a judge for Kit Kat's "Comedy Break Show" and host for MBC Action's "Desert Force" and Abu Dhabi TV's "The Beautiful Game".
Mina Liccione
Co-Founder of Dubomedy Arts Mina Liccione is an award winning performing artist – comedian, tap dancer, choreographer and arts educator. Liccione began performing at age three and teaching in her early teens. Liccione has been seen in STOMP (NYC, Touring and San Francisco cast), The New Pickle Circus, MTV's The Grind (original cast), Cabaret, Make*A*Circus, Yas Hakoshima's Mime and Movement Theater, Circo Romani, Sweet Charity, "The Beat!", Big Dog Improv, Velocity Circus, Everyday Theater Berkeley, Cirque- Special Events, Dubai Summer Surprises Series 07'-10', Magic Lantern Host, the motion pictures "Pucked" and "Cradle Will Rock", in her highly acclaimed multi-disciplinary solo show "Della Pancha", back up dancing for Deee-lite, part of the legendary House of Xtravaganza, USA East Coast tour of her Comedy Special entitled "The Audrey Heartburn Show", as well as numerous International Cabarets, Festivals, Comedy Clubs and TV spots including NBC, CBS, MTV, Dubai One, City 7, Al Hurra, ABC, MBC and Abu Dhabi TV. She's performed Stand-up alongside renown comics such as Dean Obeidallah, Larry Omaha, Edwin San Juan, Amy Schumer, Dwayne Perkins, Kirk Fox, Remy, Gabriel Iglesias, Dean Edwards, Judah Friedlander (of "30 Rock" TV Series), Halal Bilal and Tommy Davidson.
Liccione received a B.F.A. in Dance with a minor in Theater Arts from Marymount Manhattan College, an M.F.A. in Experimental Performance Studies and Composition from the New College of California and is a graduate of the San Francisco School of Circus Arts' Clown Conservatory where she later acted as their Dance teacher and choreographer. Liccione also had the great honor to co-teach workshops for Cirque Du Soleil with the legendary Jeff Raz, co-directed the San Francisco Youth Circus' award winning multi-media production of "Impressions", choreographed the San Francisco Bay Area's long standing annual tradition; The Bracebridge Holiday Show and was chosen to choreograph the 'Magic of Motown' event as part of the Stevie Wonder Concert Celebration on Yas Island. In 2011 Ahlan! Magazine listed Liccione as one of women who shape the world, Mina was recently awarded 1st runner-up "most inspiring woman in the GCC" by Philly Arabia and is adjunct professor of dance and Theater at American University of Sharjah.
Milestones
Over the last 5.5 years, the milestones and historical achievements Dubomedy has made are numerous including:
Ali headlines at the legendary Caroline’s on Broadway in New York City
OrganizedClowns Who Care Arts Camp for orphans in Uganda at the Live It Up! Home
"The Road to Edinburgh" comedy show was awarded "Highly Commended" -Timeout Night Life Award in the "Best Comedy Gig" category
Dubai International Comedy Carnival in collaboration with DSF, Dubai Events. 5 days of non-stop comedy and urban arts entertainment in both English and Arabic. The biggest of its kind in the GCC.
Mina Liccione awarded 1st runner-up “most inspiring woman in the GCC” by Philly Arabia
Premiere Comedy and Urban Arts School in the MENA Region launched- 2008
Local comedian turns pro! Ali Al Sayed- 2008
First weekly Comedy Night featuring local talent in the UAE, Monday Night Funnies- 2009
Female personality, Mina Liccione, on the cover of Gulf News' Friday Magazine- 2009
Tap Dance & Body percussion troupe formed in the UAE, Dubomedy Sole Steppers- 2009
Her-storical all female stand up comedy show and tour in the MENA Region, FUNNY GIRLS- 2010
Homegrown performing arts festival featuring over 200 local artists, Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival- 2010
Volunteer Clown Program founded in the UAE, Clowns Who Care Project - 2010
UAE Comedy tour with over 20 homegrown comedians trained through Dubomedy Arts School- ‘Rotana Comedy Tour’ - 2011
Professional improvisational comedy troupe in the UAE is born, IMPROV REVOLUTION- 2011
Comedians Ali Al Sayed and Mina Liccione perform as part of the historical re-instatement of the prestigious USA Hickok Belt Award in New York. The Comeback Ceremony & Dinner was Oct, 2011. Dubomedy is proud and deeply honored to be the official entertainment provider for The Hickok Belt's Annual Award Ceremony for many years to come.- 2011
Regular comedy contest in the UAE, Stand Up Showdown- 2012
Abu Dhabi International Comedy Festival. Dubomedy co-produced and provided all of the local talent for this exciting festival- 2012
Invited to lead workshops and performance at the International Theater of Changes Festival in Athens, Greece.- 2012
First UAE produced ensemble comedy show to perform as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! Dubai Laughing and Dubomedy were proud to announce 'Big in Dubai' which was performed in Edinburgh August 4–11, 2012 featuring Ray Addison, Jamie Johnson, Host Mina Liccione and Headliner Ali Al Sayed.
Nominated for Emirates Woman of the Year Award – Mina Liccione “Dubai’s First Lady of Comedy” – Sept, 2012
Nominated for Ahlan’s “Best in Dubai” award in the “Best male personality” category – Sept, 2012
Courses
DUBOMEDY offers courses in stand-up comedy, improvisation, tap dance and body percussion, Arabic language, writing and performance, kids comedy, tap and circus club, as well as special intensives including acting for film and television.
Charity
The “Clowns Who Care” Project is a volunteer initiative within Dubomedy Arts whose sole purpose is to bring joy, love, light, awareness and support to centers for children and adults with special needs, senior centers, charity organizations and hospitals. The team of trained volunteer artists perform, play games, sing songs, tell jokes, dance, lead workshops and interact with patients/residents from their heart. Laughter therapy is proven to decrease stress levels, help build social skills, increase blood circulation and bring people closer! They also provide professional entertainment, technical and marketing support for charity and fundraising events as well as produce special events to support humanitarian projects and charity organizations.
DIPAF
In 2010, Dubomedy launched the first international performing arts festival in the UAE entitled the "Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival" (DIPAF). The goal of the festival is to unite and celebrate the diversity of the arts with the many cultural communities of the region all while having a great time. This Festival is unique in that it will feature an array of different genres of performing artists from talented local bands, dancers, theatre, poets, hip hop artists, actors, to international comedians and musicians, to everything in between. The performances range from student showings to top international professionals to Hollywood legends. The festival infuses nonstop performances with a series of free workshops in both English and Arabic over a 4-day period.