Rihanna's 'heart aches' as her former backup dancer goes missing

Rihanna posted an emotional plea on Instagram on Monday night (24Oct16) after her former backup dancer Shirlene Quigley was reported missing.

Quigley, who lives in New Jersey, was last spotted boarding a bus at New York's Port Authority terminal in the early hours of Sunday (23Oct16).

Rihanna, who counts Quigley among her close friends, decided to get involved in the hunt and took to her social media to plead with fans to keep a look out for her pal.

Sharing a video of Quigley in which she urged people to be "kinder to each other", Rihanna wrote: "This beautiful soul, and former dancer of mine is MISSING!!! My heart aches thinking of how heavy this is on all who love her! If anyone has seen or has any information on@shirlenequigley's whereabouts .....PLEASE CONTACT the North Bergen Police Department 201 392 2100 !!!!"

Quigley's father, who lives in her native California, reported the 32-year-old missing to police after she failed to make her daily call to her dad on Sunday evening.

A cell phone belonging to Quigley, who teaches dance classes in Manhattan, has since been found at a bridal store in the city's Chelsea neighborhood, according to officials, who have yet to pinpoint a reason for her sudden disappearance.

North Bergen Police Department spokesperson Phil Swibinski told outlet NJ.com that they are "actively investigating" and have "received a Missing Person report."

Missy Elliott also used her social media to encourage her fans to get involved in the hunt for Quigley, writing: "URGENT Message*** PLEASE If anyone has seen or heard from Shirlene Quigley @shirlenequigley please contact the North Bergen police 201-392-2100.!!!

"If you have any information please come forward. Please share and help us find her!! #shirlenequigley amazing SWEET CARING SPIRIT who is LOVED by MANY! I NEED YALL TO REPOST get this info out there! Please help with any information."

Quigley began her career as a dancer at 18, landing a spot alongside Beyonce in her Crazy In Love video.

She went on to appear in promos for Rihanna, Missy, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Ashanti, Ray J, and Jamie Foxx, among others, and has also performed at top ceremonies including the Grammy Awards, the Soul Train Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards.