A musician and puppeteer and show business entrepreneur, La Grille was appointed in 1664 as a member of the Musique de la Chambre du Roi, a position he held until his death. On March 31, 1675, Louis XIV granted him a twenty-year licence to perform puppet plays accompanied by music, dances and mechanical devices at the Hôtel du Marais, under the title Troupe Royale des Pygmées.