Académie Royale de Danse other documents, however, it is clear the number is correctly stated. The identity of the omitted thirteenth member has long been a point of disagreement among dance historians. Gaston Vuillier forwarded Beauchamp as the missing member, while Régine Astier (Kunzel) unabashedly claimed it was Henri Prévost. Both were wrong. The original document signed by King Louis XIV was preserved in the French National Archives, and upon its close inspection in 1997 by scholar Maureen Needham, the thirteenth name was revealed to be “Molière.” Not to be confused with Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Molière (1622-73), the famous playwright of King Louis’ reign responsible
Jean-Baptiste Marchand Jean-Baptiste Marchand General Jean-Baptiste Marchand (2 November 1863 – 13 January 1934) was a French military officer and explorer in Africa. Marchand is best known for commanding the French expeditionary force during the Fashoda Incident. Marchand was born in Thoissey, Ain. In 1883 he enlisted as a volunteer "soldat" (private soldier) in the 4th Regiment of Marine Infantry based at Toulon. In April 1886 he attended "l’Ecole militaire de Saint-Maixent" - the French military academy for training officers promoted from the ranks. He was commissioned as a "sous-lieutenant" on 18 December 1887, at the age of 24. After serving in