Markov Choreo Generator | Python Fiddle

#Author: Bo Lee
#Last Modified: January 1, 2014
#This is the Markov generator.  It takes in a lists of 
#strings and then creates a single dictionary.  The 
#dictionary takes in the current move as a key and 
#outputs a list of possible next moves

import random

def createMovesDict (choreoL):
    """Input: chore0L is list of different 
    choreographies for a style of dance.  Each
    choreo is represented by a list of moves.  Each
    move is represented by a string.
    output: movesDict is a dictionary.  Keys are
    moves and the output is a list of possible next
    moves."""
    movesDict = {}
    #The first move of a routine will be marked by
    # the '$' key.
    movesDict['$']=[]
    for i in range(len(choreoL)):
        movesDict['$'].append(choreoL[i][0])
        #The jth move of the choreo will be the
        # current move
        for j in range(len(choreoL[i])-1):
            if choreoL[i][j] in movesDict:
                #Add the following move from the
                # choreo to the dictionary under
                # the current move
                movesDict[choreoL[i][j]].append(
                    choreoL[i][j+1])
            #This is a new current move
            else:
                #We need a new key
                movesDict[choreoL[i][j]]=[choreoL[i][j+1]]
    return movesDict

def generateChoreo(movesDict, minNum, maxNum, loop=True):
    """Randomly generates choregraphy based on the existing
    choregraphy represented in the movesDict.  The choreography
    will be at least minNum moves long, and at most maxNum moves
    long.  It will try to end with the same move that it started
    with in order to allow for looping.  Choreography will be
    returned as a list of strings
    Note: If loop is set to false, then the choreo will be
    exactly as long as maxNum and minNum is irrelevant."""
    
    #Start with the first move
    choreography = [random.choice(movesDict['$'])]
    
    #Add at least minNum moves to the choreo
    for i in xrange(minNum-1):
        choreography.append(random.choice(movesDict[choreography[-1]]))
    while len(choreography)<=maxNum:
        if loop and choreography[0]==choreography[-1]:
            break
        choreography.append(random.choice(movesDict[choreography[-1]]))
    return choreography

testMode=True
if testMode:
    L=[['a','b','c','a','b','a'],['a','c','d','b','a','c','a']]
    d = createMovesDict(L)
    print d
    print generateChoreo(d,5,10)

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